GEOGRAPHY

OF THE

UNITED STATES

& CANADA

By Brett Lucas

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Setting the Boundaries

What states and provinces are part of the region?

Hawaii

What regions does it border?

None

Overview

Isolated

Volcanically active

Rapid growth slowing

Physical Geography

Physical Setting

Islands formed as they moved over hot spot

Kauai 5M years old

Oahu 3M years old

Hawaii <500,000 years old

Loihi 3,000 feet under water

Extend all the way to Midway, 1,600 miles away

Physical Setting

Main Island

Two thirds of Hawaii’s

area

Five volcanoes

Mauna Loa and

Kilauea active

Volcanoes

Largest mountains in the world

Area above sea level still growing as lava cools

Shield volcanoes

Volcanoes

Many Natural Hazards

Hurricanes

Tsunamis

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Hurricanes

Much higher

ground to

reach

Flooding a

problem

Tsunami

Waves travel open ocean at 500 miles an hour

Crests rise up to 70 feet

1960: Tsunami from Chilean earthquake destroyed half of Hilo

Climate

Tropical

Northeasterly winds persist year-round

Some places desert, some place rainforest

Why?

Climograph – Hilo, HI

Climograph – Honolulu, HI

Climate Comparison

Spokane

WA

Hilo Honolulu Mauna Loa

Jan Temp (F) 33 / 21 79 / 64 80 / 65 50 / 33

Jul Temp (F) 82 / 54 83 / 69 89 / 75 56 / 40

Rainfall 16.5 in. 127 in. 18 in. 19 in.

Snowfall 49 in. 0 in. 0 in. occasional

Snow in Hawaii

Higher summits on occasion

Natural Vegetation – Rainforest

Year-round growth

Drought rare

Invasive Species

Much of ground cover non-native

Over 2/3’s of plant species found on island brought

in from elsewhere

Many feral animals (originally only 2 mammal

species)

Many native species extinct or endangered

Population & Settlement

Native Population

Pre-Polynesians

Disappeared mysteriously

Two waves of Polynesians

Came from Tahiti

500 to 1000 AD

1400 to 1600 AD

Hawaiian Monarchy

Kamehameha the Great

Ruled 1795 – 1819

Unified Hawaii finally in 1810

Lasted until overthrown in 1893 by American

backed coup

European/American Settlement

1778: James Cook discovered islands

Strong British influence in history

American missionaries and settlers arrived from 1820’s

on

Values as sugar and coffee growing region increased

1898: Hawaii annexed into US

Strategic position for Spanish-American war

Hawaii was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959,

making it the 50th state

The First Melting Pot

Native Hawaiians

Americans and British

Chinese and Japanese migrated in 19th century to

work on sugar plantations

Present Population

Several different ethnic groups

Relatively low growth

Concentration on Oahu – now 80% of population

Population Makeup

24% European

17% Japanese

14% Filipino

6% Chinese

9% Hawaiian

21% Interracial

Population Numbers

State/Metro area 2000 (1,000’s) 1990 (1,000’s) Change

Hawaii 1211 1108 +9%

Oahu 876 836 +5%

Hawaii Island 149 120 +23%

Maui/Molokai/Lanai 128 100 +28%

Kauai/Niihau 58 51 +21%

US & Canada 312,600 276,700 +13%

Population Density – HI

Human & Economic Geography

Ways of Life

Past

Whaling

Forestry

Current

Agriculture

Tourism

Military

Agriculture

Only 10% arable land

Two mainstays in decline

Sugar

1 million tons a year through 1980’s, now 300,000 tons

Labor and transportation costs too high

Replaced by corn syrup

Pineapple

Slight decline

Together 25% of export revenue in 1960; today 2%

Plantation towns on the decline

Agriculture

Other crops take over the land

Crops for local consumption

Crops well suited to Hawaii

Macadamia Nuts

Kona Coffee

Papaya

Marijuana

Defense/Government

Important strategic

location

60,000 employed in

military

Decline since end of

Cold War

Kahoolawe once

target practice

Tourism

Visitors from North America mainland and Asia

Pearl Harbor

Over 6 million visitors a year

At any moment, 10 percent of population tourists

More than half of islands’ economy (was only 10

percent 50 years ago)

Honolulu

Dominates Hawaii

Congested

Limited spatially

Terrain

Federal / private

land

High cost of living

Other U.S. Pacific Islands

Similar cultural melting pot

Military importance

Manufacturing center

“Made in USA”

Guam: 160,000

Saipan: 70,000

American Samoa: 70,000

Outlook

Erratic growth

Significant dependence upon tourism and defense

Agriculture losing out as a way of life