From interesting tidbits of information about ancient Hawaiians to geographic wonders, the Hawaiian Islands are the subject of many incredible trivia facts. Some of these facts are common, while others are a bit more obscure, but regardless, everyone who lives in the Aloha State should have these 18 trivia facts about Hawaii in their arsenal. How else are you going to win that competitive round of bar trivia?

1. Hawaii consists of eight main islands and 124 uninhabited islands.
cd_1940/Flickr
And the Big Island is actually twice the size of all the other islands combined.
2. The state gem isn’t actually a mineral — black coral is an animal, but is commonly used to make jewelry.
Rickz/Flickr
3. The Hawaiian Islands have lost more species, and have more endangered species, than any other state in America.
Kanaka Menehune/Flickr
4. The Hawaiian alphabet is comprised of only 13 letters: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, and W.
Joel/Flickr
5. Waikiki attracts approximately 44 percent of the state’s annual tourists.
Katsuhiro/Flickr
6. Hawaii Island, more commonly referred to as the Big Island, gains approximately 36 acres of land every year, thanks to Kilauea Volcano.
B. G. Z. Olson/Flickr
7. One of the world’s largest volcanoes, Mauna Loa, was once used as a training ground for astronauts headed to the moon.
Jeff Kubina/Flickr
Recently, six NASA researchers spent several months on the volcano’s northern slope, simulating a Mars space station.
8. Hawaii has the highest life expectancy in the country, with the average resident living 81.3 years.
Illuminance Studio/Flickr

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9. Hawaii is home to the lowest percentage of white Americans in the country.
Forest and Kim Starr/Flikr
Only 24.7 percent of Hawaii residents are Caucasian, and 38.6 percent are of Asian descent, the highest percentage in the country.
10. Spanning more than 1,500 miles and 10 degrees of latitude, the Hawaiian Islands are the world’s largest archipelago.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center/Flickr
11. The famous Hawaiian macadamia nut isn’t actually native to Hawaii.
SStrieu/Flickr
The plant was imported from Australia in the 1880s as ornamental vegetation, and wasn’t harvested as a crop until the 1920s.
12. The oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in the United States can be found in Honolulu; the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was built in 1843.
Justin De La Ornellas/Flickr
13. Mount Waialeale is one of the rainiest spots on earth, with an average of approximately 452 inches of rain each year since 1912.
Jim Maulhaput/Flickr
It is also the second highest point on the island of Kauai.
14. From dry, coastal desert to snow-capped mountains, Hawaii Island is home to 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones.
Alan L/Flickr
15. Approximately two-thirds of the 10,000 humpback whales that migrate to the north Pacific from January to April make their way to Hawaii.
Scott Moore/Flickr
16. Hawaii does not have a single straight line in its state boundary.
Noe Alfaro/Flickr

How many of these facts did you know? Do you have any other interesting facts about Hawaii you would like to share with us in the comments below? To learn more about the Aloha State, click here to discover Everything You Need To Know About Hawaii From A To Z.

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Hawaii Trivia

Megan Shute | August 03, 2020

What are the most interesting facts about Hawaii?

Well, that's a totally subjective question, but I think the fact that the Aloha State is the most geographically isolated population center in the entire world is absolutely fascinating and explains so much about the islands' culture. The Hawaiian Islands are also home to approximately one-third of all the endangered species in the United States and there are only two mammals native to Hawaii: the hoary bat and monk seal.

What facts are there to know about Hawaii's history?

From the tale of how the islands were first settled, to the relationship between Hawaii and the American government before it became a state in 1959, Hawaii's history is fascinating, and here are 14 things you might not have known about the islands' history. Of particular interest, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona filled up with 1.5 million gallons of fuel and — according to the History Channel — the sunken ship “continues to spill up to nine quarts of oil into the harbor each day.”

What is a fun trivia fact about Waikiki Beach?

Waikiki Beach is easily the state's most famous tourist destination, but not many people know that until the 1920s, it was a swamp. The famous destination is also partially engineered, and has been filled with imported sand for decades — and it is unfortunately in danger of being lost entirely. The beach has faced erosion problems since the late-1800s when hotels and homes were built too close to the natural shoreline. To learn more about Waikiki, click here.

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