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Hawaii
- "The Orchid Isle"
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| Hawai‘i
(The Big Island) - The Orchid Isle - is the youngest and largest of
the Hawaiian Islands, covering 4,028 square miles and growing every
day (Kilauea caldera is the longest continually erupting volcano in
recorded history). The Big Island is twice as large as all other major
Hawaiian islands combined. |
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Ranching
and agriculture are the Big Island's economic mainstays. Major products
include beef, Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, papaya and tropical flowers
such as orchids and anthuriums. Resorts and most residential developments
are located in coastal areas such as Hilo, Kailua-Kona, and the
Kohala Coast, leaving much of the interior of the island untouched.
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Big Island is home to five volcanoes, three of which are active: Mauna
Loa erupts an average of once every five years; Hualalai last erupted
in 1801; and Kilauea erupts almost continuously. Kohala is the Big
Island's oldest volcano, and Mauna Kea is Hawai‘i's highest mountain
at 13,796 feet. The Big Island is approximately 0.7 million years
old. |
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island has 12 distinct climate zones, ranging from rain forest to
tundra. The rain forests are on the eastern portion of the island,
while the western side receives very little rain. The Big Island's
average annual rainfall ranges from 10 inches at Kawaihae (near the
Kohala coast) to 128 inches at Hilo Airport. |
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