Amazing Hawaii Facts for Kids

Amazing Hawaii Facts for Kids

Have you ever been to Hawaii? It's a very special place with a lot of interesting history. Hawaii is the only US state that's totally surrounded by water. In fact, the islands that make up the state of Hawaii is the most remotely located inhabited land mass on Earth.

Here are some other amazing Hawaii facts for kids that you might not know:

Hawaii is the only place in the USA where you can visit a real royal palace. Iolani palace in downtown Honolulu was once the home of kings and queens. Today the palace is a museum.The last royal monarch to live in Iolani palace was named Queen Lili'uokalani.

Every person in Hawaii is a minority. Hawaii is the only state where Caucasian people, or haoles do not outnumber everyone else. The 2010 census reported that 33% of the population was Caucasian, 33% was Japanese, and about 24% are native Hawaiians. The other ten percent are mostly of Asian ancestry.

It snows in Hawaii! The largest island in the state is called Hawaii or The Big Island. The tallest mountain of the Big Island is called Mauna Kea which means “white mountain” in the old Hawaiian language. It's called that because there is almost always snow near the top of the mountain.

There are only 13 letters in the whole Hawaiian language. They are A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P and W. The thirteenth letter isn't really a letter at all. It looks like this  '  and it's called an okina and it marks a place in a word where there is a very short silence between other letters.

The most-rainy place in Earth is called Mount Waialeale, it's on the island of Kauai and almost 500” of rain falls there every year.The first European explorer to visit the Hawaiian islands was Captain James Cook. He named the islands the “Sandwich Isles,” but not because he liked to eat sandwiches for lunch. One of the people who paid for Captain Cook's voyage was the Earl of Sandwich.

In Hawaii, musicians play flute with their nose.

The small, four-stringed musical instrument known as the ukulele was invented in Hawaii, and it's name means 'jumping flea.'

On the Hawaiian island of Kauai, no building is allowed to be taller than a palm tree.

There are more than one hundred islands in the Hawaiian island archipelago. Only eight of them are inhabited by people. The names of the eight populated islands are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kaho'olawe.

Hawaii achieved US statehood in 1959, making Hawaii the newest of the 50 states in the USA.

Want to know more cool Hawaii facts for kids? There are many wonderful books about the little state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Want to know more about Camp Ohana? Contact us.

By

Amos Balongo
Chairman and CEO
Camp Ohana Foundation
October 5th 2014