Big Island Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Noreen Kam, McNeil Wilson Communications, noreen.kam@anthologygroup.com

 

Hawai'i Island - BIG and Inspiring Overview

 

POPULATION: 175,784 (2008, U.S. Census)

 

GEOGRAPHY: Hawai'i Island is the youngest and largest of the Hawaiian Islands and it's still growing as long as lava continues to pour out of Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. It has 266 miles (428 km) of coastline.

 

Hawai'i Island stretches from sea level to the volcanic peaks of Maunakea, 13,796 feet (4,205 m), and Maunaloa, 13,677 feet (4,169 m). The Big Island  has the state's highest lake, Lake Waiau, at 13,020 feet (3,969 m) above sea level; the state's longest sheer drop waterfall, 'Akaka Falls, 442 feet (135 m); the southernmost tip of the United States, Ka Lae (South Point) and the tallest mountain measured from the ocean floor, Maunakea.

 

CLIMATE: Average temperature ranges from 71° - 77° F (22° - 25° C) with cooler climates of 57° - 63° F (14° - 17° C) at the 4,000-foot Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park headquarters, and 62° - 66° F (17° - 19° C) at 2,760-foot Waimea. Rainfall is variable in different sectors, which makes for some beautiful, lush scenery.

 

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Astronomy, tourism and agriculture. Agriculture products include: coffee and other tropical fruits, macadamia nuts, papaya, cattle, anthuriums, orchids, and aquaculture.

 

BRIEF HISTORY: Believed to be the first Hawaiian Island discovered and settled by Polynesians, perhaps as early as the fifth century, Hawai'i Island has been the scene of many of the state's historic events. The birthplace of King Kamehameha I, this island was the one from which he launched forays to unify the islands. For a time, it was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Big Island was also the scene of King Kamehameha I's death, and with it the end of the kapu (laws to protect Hawaiian spirituality) system, abolished by his successor (and son) Kamehameha II in 1819. Kealakekua Bay, Captain James Cook's first Big Island landfall in 1779, and the scene of his death, is the site where the first Christian service (a seaman's burial) was performed on Hawai'i's shores.

 

From the data above, you can see why Hawai'i Island is nicknamed the Big Island.  So just what is BIG and Inspiring about Hawai'i, the Big Island?  Long before our island's name, "Hawai'i," was given to our state, it was the name of a kingdom.

 

Hawai'i is the birthplace of the great warrior King Kamehameha I, who in 1810 first unified all the islands under one rule, creating the Kingdom of Hawai'i. "Hawai'i" - first an island, then a kingdom, now a state.  But then and now, always an island.

 

BIG ISLAND At 4,028 square miles, we are so big that all the other main Hawaiian Islands could fit inside us - almost twice. Real quick let's do the math: Maui is 729 square miles; O'ahu, 607; Kaua'i, 533; Moloka'i, 260; Lāna'i, 141; Ni'ihau, 69 and Kaho'olawe 45. Add up all our sister isles and you get 2,384 square miles, which would fit inside Hawai'i Island 1.7 times. All that square mileage equals one big playground. Hiking, biking, driving, horseback riding, flightseeing - we have it all, and then some!

 

BIG, NOT BUSY Hawai'i, the Big Island is not O'ahu. Although the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom was once located on our island in historic Kailua Village, today's state capital is Honolulu on the most populous Hawaiian Island, O'ahu. We do not have Waikīkī Beach. Instead, we have beaches where sea turtles sometimes outnumber the humans. According to the 2008 census, Hawai'i County, (the Big Island) had less than 200,000 residents spread out among 4,028 square miles. Compare that to O'ahu at 905,034 in 607 square miles.

 

INSPIRING ACTIVE VOLCANO A volcanic eruption is one of nature's magnificent spectacles. Kīlauea volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1983, providing a stunning show for visitors, with fiery, periodic ocean entries creating the newest land on Earth, and a steaming, glowing fissure in the summit crater - home of the tempestuous volcano goddess Pele. No wonder that visitors gape in awe at the dramatic beauty of it all from an oceanside viewing area and several overlooks within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

 

BIG MOUNTAINS No, sorry Mt. Everest, but at 29,029 feet you're not the tallest mountain on the planet. Maunakea, measured from its base on the seafloor is some 33,000 feet tall. Our broad shield volcano Maunaloa, is Earth's most massive volcano. Maunaloa is also the planet's second tallest mountain, topping 30,077 feet from its sea floor base.

 

INSPIRING NATIONAL PARKS Hawai'i Island's powerful natural, cultural and historical importance within the state of Hawai'i is reflected in the fact that, of the nine U.S. National Park Service sites within the state, five of them are on Hawai'i Island. Sprawling Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (333,086 acres) is an unparalleled natural display of volcanic forces, endemic plants and rare birds. In recognition of its outstanding value to humanity, the park has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve (1980) and a UNESCO World Heritage site (1987). Three other national sites - Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historic Park, Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site and Kaloko-Honōkohau National Historic Park - make ancient Hawaiian history come alive. And the 175-mile Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is easily one of the most dazzling beautiful hikes you'll ever take.

 

BIG SKY There are several reasons why some of the world's most powerful astronomical telescopes have been built atop 13,796-foot Maunakea - its isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean means exceptionally clear, dry air and low light impact. There's also the good fortune to be at an optimal geographic position on the planet. Poised at 19.5 degrees north latitude means that we can see the entire Northern Hemisphere and 90 percent of the Southern Hemisphere. Lucky visitors can see the North Star and Southern Cross in the same evening. No wonder Maunakea is one of the world's foremost sites for astronomy.

 

INSPIRING MARINE PRESERVES Hawai'i Island has about double or more of the shoreline of any other Hawaiian Island. So it's no big surprise that we have more marine conservation districts than any other island: Kealakekua Bay, Old Kona Airport, Waialea Bay, Lapakahi and Waiōpae Tidepools. And that's just to get your feet wet. You can put on your mask and snorkel or SCUBA gear at lots of places all around the island, and depending on where you dive in, it's not unusual to spot sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, colorful reef fish, and multitudes of other sealife. 

 

BIG ENVIRONMENT We don't blame you for being skeptical, but yes, it's true: Hawai'i Island has all but two of the world's main climate zones. What we don't have, we're happy to say, is Ice Cap (think Arctic and Antarctic), and continental/microthermal climate (think Siberia). What we do have: Humid Tropical (Hilo), Arid and Semi Arid (Kohala Coast), Temperate (upcountry Hōlualoa) and Ice Climate/periglacial (summits of Maunakea and Maunaloa), plus several subcategories.

 

INSPIRING HERITAGE A rich, diverse heritage is nearly everywhere you turn on Hawai'i Island: primeval petroglyphs carved into lava; paniolo (cowboys) galloping across historic working ranches; nimble fingers strumming 'ukulele and slack key guitars, or weaving lau hala (pandanus leaves) into pieces of practical art. And of course, hula. It's hard to match the combination of grace, fearsome power, beauty, history, myth and cultural depth of Hawaiian hula. And nothing can match the "Olympics" of hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival, which takes place each spring in Hilo on Hawai'i Island.

 

BIG GOLF Hawai'i Island is the state's acknowledged "Golf Capital," with more oceanfront golf holes than any other island in the Pacific. Here you can play golf amid some of the most stunning scenery anywhere - lush fairways between dramatic black lava fields, sand traps in a tropical rainforest, and those famous oceanside greens where a gallery of whales may politely watch you three-putt.

 

INSPIRING MENU With our cultural and ethnic diversity and our diverse climates that nurture a wide variety of farm produce and ranching, Hawai'i Island is a big mixed plate of all kinds of delicious local foods. Enjoy the bounty at our Hawai'i Regional Cuisine restaurants, neighborhood bistros, side street cafés, roadside lunch wagons, farmers markets, and at more than 100 festivals and events throughout the island each year.

 

IN A (MAC)NUT SHELL With our incredible diversity of natural landscapes and seascapes, agriculture, science, history, culture and places for visitors to call home while here, Hawai'i Island is clearly BIG and Inspiring.

 

Special note to media: The Big Island Visitors Bureau (BIVB) recognizes the use of the 'okina ['] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the modern Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai'i such as Kīlauea). However, BIVB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

 

For information on Hawai'i Island, please visit http://media.bigisland.org

 

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