Hawaii Facts
Hawaii Volcanoes
Hawaii Plants
Hawaii Animals
True or False
100
Hawaii is made up of ___ different islands.
A. 142
B. 132
B. 132
While there are 132 different Hawaiian islands and 124 islets, shoals, and reefs, the 8 main Hawaiian islands are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island (aka Hawaii Island), Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kaho’olawe.
100
The Big Island grows about __ acres each year.
A. 42
B. 45
A. 42
That’s because the Kilauea volcano has been actively erupting for the past 30 years. Each time it erupts, it spills into the ocean. And it adds up to about 42 acres of new land each year.
100
_____ nuts aren’t from Hawaii.
A. Macadamia
B. Cashew
A. Macadamia
Hawaiian macadamia nut is actually Australian. It came to Hawaii in the 1920s, where it soon became a harvest crop.
100
The Hawaii state fish is the _____.
A. Parrot Fish
B. Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
B. Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
This is one of the longest words in the Hawaiian language and it’s actually pretty descriptive. It means “trigger fish with a snout like a pig.” That’s a pretty good visual, right?
100
You can mail a coconut from Hawaii.
True or False
True!
If you really want to impress your kids, tell them they can mail a real coconut home to their friends or family. Just find a dried out unhusked coconut and have your kids customize it with paint, write a message and address on it, and then mail it at the post office.
200
There are only ____ letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.
A. 20
B. 12
B. 12
The Hawaiian language actually only has 12 letters.
Vowels: A, E, I, O, U
Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W
200
_____is the world’s most active volcano.
A. Kilauea
B. Molokai
A. Kilauea
While Hawaii is home to many amazing volcanoes, the most famous is Kilauea because it’s the best place to see lava in Hawaii. It erupted continuously from 1983 to 2018 and most recently erupted in October 2021.
200
Plumeria, which was brought to the Islands by Dr. William Hillebrand, a German Biologist, was first discovered in _____ in the 1800s.
A. Mexico
B. Germany
A. Mexico
In Hawaii, plumeria flowers between April and November. The pods have the potential to produce flowers 365 days as per location and climate.
200
_____ are outlawed in Hawaii.
A. Snakes
B. Crocodiles
A. Snakes
It’s illegal to bring in a snake. That’s to protect the native birds in jeopardy of becoming endangered. They take it so seriously that people found smuggling snakes face 3 years in jail and fines up to $200,000.
200
Aloha means both hello and goodbye.
True or False
True!
The Hawaiian language is pretty rich but the most recognizable Hawaiian word is “aloha.” This term means hello and goodbye. It also means love.
300
All beaches are _____ in Hawaii.
A. Public
B. Private
A. Public
One of the best things about Hawaii is pretty much every beach in Hawaii is a public beach. The only exceptions are government-only beaches. That means tourists and residents are able to enjoy all the beaches in Hawaii, including ones in front of hotels and resorts.
300
______is the world’s largest dormant volcano.
A. Haleakala Crater
B. Mount Everest
A. Haleakala Crater
This huge volcano is responsible for forming 75% of the island of Maui. But, most of the volcano is actually below the surface of the ocean. It’s about 30,000 feet tall from the bottom of the ocean to its highest peak. Haleakala last erupted in the late 1700s.
300
A. Birds of Paradise B. Heliconia
A. Birds of Paradise
They are also called the crane flower because it has a shape of a crane.
300
Hawaii’s state bird is the ____.
A. Nene Goose
B. Ostrich
A. Nene Goose
It is the rarest goose in the world! While it was once more common in Hawaii, its population has slowly decreased. The species almost went extinct in the middle part of the 20th century. Because of this, these birds are hard to find, and you will likely only see them if you’re on Kauai or the Big Island.
300
Hawaii has the shortest life expectancy in all of the U.S.
True or False
False!
People live longer in Hawaii than they do in any other state. As of 2020, the average life expectancy in Hawaii is 81.15 years. California, New York, and several other states trail behind at 80 years.
400
Hawaii was the first U.S. state to ban ___.
A. Plastic bags
B. Alcohol
A. Plastic Bags
Hawaii banned the use of plastic bags in July 2015. Some of the other islands had banned them even earlier. But, they were the first state to do this. So, if you go shopping in Hawaii, bring your own bags with you.
400
Mauna Loa has been active for nearly____.
A.800,000 years
B.700,000 years
B.700,000 years
Its first eruption in modern times was in 1843. Since then, Mauna Loa has erupted three dozen times, with the last eruption in 1984, following earthquake activity beneath the volcano.
400
A. Anthurium B. Naupaka
A. Anthurium
Anthuriums include more than 500 species and available in a variety of colors. They flower throughout the year in vibrant shades of red, purple, green, white, and pink.
400
____ were released onto the islands in the 1800s to decrease the rat population.
A. Squirrel
B. Mongoose
B. Mongoose
Mongoose were released onto the islands in the 1800s to decrease the rat population. The mongoose is Hawaii’s replacement for squirrels. Hawaii has no squirrels, but the mongoose is a similar replacement, at least in looks.
400
The plumeria is the Hawaiian state flower
True or False.
False!
While many people associate Hawaii with the fragrant plumeria flower, the state flower is the yellow hibiscus.
500
Oahu has the world’s largest ______.
A. Wind generator
B. Geothermal generator
A. Wind Generator
The world’s largest wind generator is located on Oahu. It’s located at the top of a 20 story tower and the blades of the windmill are 400 feet long!
500
Most climbers spend almost ___ days reaching the summit of Mauna Loa.
A. 2 Days
B. 4 Days
B. 4 Days
The journey takes them first to a lookout point at 6,662 feet and then continues to a 16-mile trail of woodland and lava rock. The National park offers mountain huts for overnight stays.
500
A. Bougainvillea B. Amaryllis
A. Bougainvillea
In Hawaii, they can be seen in many leeward coast communities. The leeward coasts of all Hawaiian islands are the sunniest and driest areas.
500
_____ of the wild animals in Hawaii are not dangerous. Only a handful of them is dangerous.
A. 70%
B. 90%
B. 90%
Among other deadly animals in Hawaii, the most life threatening animal is the box jelly. The venom immediately attacks the central nervous system causing the victim to go in shock and drowning.
500
No building on Kauai can be taller than a palm tree.
True or False
True!
By law, no building can be taller than a palm tree, which is about 4 stories tall. But because of this law, Kauai has remained a true paradise that isn’t over-run by skyscrapers.