20 Interesting Facts About Hawaii

Aloha, today we’ve got twenty interesting & surprising facts about Hawaii – one of the more beautiful locations in the world.

So sit back, relax, and check out these interesting facts you probably don’t know!

Hawaii grows by roughly 42 acres each year.

Hawaii’s Big Island, which is the common term used for the state of Hawaii, is growing by more than 42 acres each year because of the Kilauea Volcano.

This volcano has been erupting for around 30 years now, which is impressive in and of itself.

Mauna Loa, is one of the biggest volcanoes in the entire world.

It is also located on the Big Island and its lava fields were once a training site for astronauts before they went to the moon.

Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee commercially.

This state is the only one in the U.S. that grows coffee, vanilla beans, and cacao commercially.

Another interesting fact is that it can take as long as five years for just one vanilla bean to be grown completely.

Both the highest and lowest recorded temperatures have occurred on the Big Island.

Hawaii’s highest and lowest recorded temperatures have both occurred on the Big Island, which isn’t very surprising because of this island’s diverse landscape.

The highest recorded temperature on the Big Island was 100 degrees Fahrenheit and occurred on April 27, 1931, in the town of Pahala.

The lowest recorded temperature occurred on May 17, 1979 close to the Mauna Kea’s summit, and it was recorded at 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hawaii has lost more wildlife species than any other state.

The state of Hawaii has lost more species and has more endangered species than any other state in the U.S.

Around 70% of this state’s native birds are extinct and the rest are listed as being in danger of becoming extinct.

It is considered rude to refuse to wear a lei flower if someone offers it.

A lei flower is often used in celebrations and there are certain rules that are associated with it, starting with the fact that it is considered rude to refuse one or remove it in front of the person who gave it to you.

A lei should not be thrown away but returned to the land, preferably where the flowers were first gathered.

This is a tradition that dates back to Hawaii for many years and its rules are still taken quite seriously by many of the natives.

Only people with Hawaiian ancestry are considered to be Hawaiians.

Even if you were born and raised in Hawaii, you are not considered to be a true Hawaiian unless you have ancestry in your family.

People who do not come from Hawaiian ancestry, even if they were born and raised in the state, refer to themselves as locals.

The Dole Plantation has the largest pineapple maze in the world.

The Dole Plantation in Oahu has a pineapple maze that consists of 14,000 carefully crafted colorful Hawaiian plants, and it is definitely a big attraction for tourists.

This huge maze stretches over 3 acres & contains a mystery in the center along with eight secret stations for those who want to find it.

Only 7400 people live on Molokai.

There are only 7,400 people who live on the island of Molokai, which used to be a leper colony.

And even fewer people on Lanai, which is the smallest inhabited island open to visitors in Hawaii.

Hawaii was the first state to ban plastic bags.

In July 2015, Oahu- the most populated Hawaiian island, joined the other Hawaiian islands and banned plastic bags from their stores.

This made it the first state to fully ban the use of plastic bags.

A number of Hollywood movies are filmed in Hawaii.

Over the years there have been a number of popular movies filmed in Hawaii, even if they are not set there.

Some of these movies include Jurassic Park & Jurassic World, 50 First Dates, Godzilla, Tropic Thunder and You, Me and Dupree.

Many of these filming locations can be seen at the Kualoa Ranch.

Snakes are outlawed in Hawaii.

The only snakes that are legally allowed to be kept in Hawaii are displayed in zoos.

The Hawaiian macadamia nut does not actually come from Hawaii.

The world-famous Hawaiian macadamia nut is not actually native to Hawaii, but was first imported from Australia as decorative vegetation back in the 1880s.

This nut didn’t make it to Hawaii until the 1920s when it became a harvest crop for this state.

It’s the only state made up entirely of islands.

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that is made up entirely of islands.

This state consists of 132 different islands, including eight main islands (Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe), as well as 124 islets, reefs, and shoals.

Hawaii is the second widest state in the U.S.

Spanning 1,523 miles from Ni’ihau island to the Big Island, Hawaii is the widest state in the U.S., just behind Alaska.

Billboards are outlawed.

Hawaii is one of four states in the U.S. that has banned the use of billboards for advertising.

No building on Kauai can be taller than a palm tree by law.

That’s not the only weird thing about Kauai, there are no cities, no freeways, chain restaurants, skyscrapers or towers, and very few mainstream stores.

Also, the maximum speed limit on the entire island is only 50 mph!

Hawaii has its own time zone.

This picturesque state has its own time zone, referred to as Hawaiian Standard Time, and it is one of two states that doesn’t follow Daylight Saving Time.

It might be an obvious fact, however, Hawaii also has a saying – if you’ve ever heard of the phrase “Hawaiian time”, you’re not alone…

Due to the relaxed environment and hot weather, there’s generally less of a rush to get to where you need to be.

So the phrase ‘Hawaiian Time’ generally refers to arriving later than expected for an occasion or meeting.