Facts on the Hawaiian Islands

The state of Hawaii is formed by eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii. The capital and largest city of Honolulu is on Oahu, which is also home to Pearl Harbor and the famous Waikiki Beach. You may also know Oahu for the waves that attract surfers to its North Shore. The Big Island is known for Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Kea, a snow-topped mountain that is also the world's tallest peak (if measured from the ocean floor). Lanai is the least developed island, perfect for romantic getaways.

The weather is Hawaii is beautiful all year, with the months of April through November generally drier and warmer than the winter months. Most major airlines have service to Hawaii and once there, you have your choice of luxury resorts, economy motels and quaint beach-side or mountainside bed & breakfasts. Public transportation on the main islands is usually quite efficient, but you may want to rent a car to do some exploring on your own.

Historians believe the first people to settle in the Hawaiian islands were Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands, who made the nearly 2,000-mile trip about 1,500 years ago. Settlers from Tahiti followed hundreds of years later and soon conflicts between various factions followed. Captain James Cook arrived in 1778, ushering in a period of missionary work and settlement by Europeans and Americans. In 1893, Americans overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom and in 1898, Hawaii officially became a U.S. territory. Hawaii became the 50th state to join the Union in 1959.

The Kapalua Resort and its Plantation Course on Maui is home to the PGA Tour's Mercedes-Benz Championship every January, but is available to members and guests of the resort the rest of the year. It's one of about 70 courses scattered across six islands in Hawaii, each one with vistas that include mountains and deep blue ocean water. Oahu also features the Turtle Bay Resort, which hosts the LPGA Tour's SBS Championship every year. Resort packages include unlimited golf on one of two courses, as well as other amenities for the golfer and non-golfer in your party.

Hawaii occupies nearly 11,000 square miles and has a population of more than 1.2 million people. Hawaii also has two official languages: English and Hawaiian, though English is spoken just about everywhere. Though we think of Hawaii as comprising the eight main islands, the state is actually made up of 132 islands, but 124 of the smaller islands are not inhabitable by humans.

One of the newer tourist industries to take off in Hawaii is whale watching, but you're advised not to try this on your own. Guided whale-watching tour boats are available from many locations on the islands and some even drop a microphone in the water, allowing you to hear whale sounds. The best time to see humpback whales are between December and April. Short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales and a variety of dolphins can be seen throughout the year.

There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: a, e, i, o, u, h, k, l, m, n, p, w. Hawaii is the only coffee-growing state in the USA. Some Hawaiian beaches are made of gorgeous, powdery white sand, while others are made of black sand, which forms when molten lava cooled upon reaching the ocean.