Hawaii the Big Island The Orchid Island, The Volcano Island

This island is the largest and the youngest in the Hawaiian chain. It is more than 4,000 sq miles, roughly 95 miles by 80 miles. The dead volcano Mauna Kea is 13,796 feet above sea level, but goes down 18,000 feet. The air at its peak is clean.

Mt Hualalai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea are active volcanoes. Sugar, coffee, cattle, fruits, vegtables and nuts are leading agri products. Sport fishing is popular, along with scuba diving and snorkeling. The two ports of entry are Hilo and Kailua Kona.

The northeast coast is called Hamakua. Puna is the southeast coast. Kona is the west coast and North Kohala is the northern peninsula. Hilo is the fourth largest city and county seat of the Big Island, which is also called Hawaii.

Most tourist development is on the Kona-Kohala coast, which has a dry climate. Numerous heiaus and petroglyphs mark locations of earlier settlement going back to 750 AD. Macadamia nuts are replacing sugar as a crop today.

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