Hawai’i is the world’s most remote island chain. It is over 2,000 miles from the nearest landfall. Hawaii consists of eight major islands plus there are 124 minor islands, reefs and shoals.These are strung like a necklace over the Pacific for 1,500 miles. The eight major islands are O’ahu, Maui, Hawai’i (known as Big Island), Kaua’i, Moloka’i, Lana’i, Kaho’olawe and Ni’ihau. These eight islands make up over 99% of the total land area.
The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic land masses which began to form more than 70 million years ago. Each Hawaiian island was created by one or more volcanoes that erupted on the sea floor and then later emerged above the ocean’s surface after countless eruptions.
The oldest of the major Hawaiian Islands is Kaua’i, The Garden Isle. Kauai was formed over 5 million years ago from a single shield volcano that became deeply eroded with time (and volcanic action). Kaua’i is known as “The Garden Isle” because many areas are so green and lush.
Kaua’i is the least populated of all the major islands (only about 57,000 people live there) and nearly two thirds of all the people hanging out on Kaua’i, at any given time, are visitors/tourists.Each of the Hawaiian islands has an identity and appeal all its own. Kauai is my favorite.