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The Geography and Culture of Hawaii

Hawaii today is the farthest west state in the Union. It is also the most ungual state in the United States, for it consists of 132 islands and atolls extended across some 1,600 miles of ocean. The origin of this place of beauty was extremely violent, for the islands were forced up from the ocean floor by mighty violent explosions. The molten rock from these explosions built up and then was worked on by the elements of the crashing surf, the sea winds, and powerful rivers, carving the lush mountains and valleys seen there today (Stone 2). Hawaii is the northernmost point of the huge triangle of Pacific Ocean islands of Polynesia. The Hawaiian islands extend from Kure Atoll in the northwest to the Big Island on the southeast, and Ka Lae on the Big Island is the southernmost point of the United States. The eight major islands are Hawaii (the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. These islands have a total land area of 6470 square miles, and this includes 96 small offshore islands with a combined area of less than three square miles. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands lie scattered across 1,000 miles of ocean west of Kauai, consisting of 28 islands in nine clusters with a total land area of just under three square miles. The Midway Islands are geographically in the Hawaiian archipelago, but they are not politically part of the state of Hawaii (Bendure and Friary 29).

The eight major islands in the chain are what are usually referred to as Hawaii, and of these, seven are permanently inhabited--Kahoolawe is not. Six of the seven inhabited islands can be easily visited, while tiny Niihau can be accessed only by helicopter and only under stringent restrictions. Kahoolawe is 45 square miles in area and has been used by the U.S. Navy since 1941, largely as a target range. By order of President Bush in 1991, the island is supposed to be returned to the people, and while bombing has stopped, the isl...

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The Geography and Culture of Hawaii. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 03:08, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1692992.html