Tricky question. There are currently seven populated islands in what we typically think of as "Hawaii". They are Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and The Big Island (AKA "Hawaii"). There is a new island "Loihi" which is being formed even as we speak but has not yet broken the ocean surface. There are also a number of other scattered islands and atolls that are considered part of the Hawaiian Islands but which are not conventionally what people mean when they say "Hawaii."
No, actually. Niihau is a privately owned island and you can't go there without special permission which is almost never granted to people who are not Hawaiians (see 8.01).
It's nice; very lush and tropical. Not a lot to do there, a few good restaurants. Princeville (northern end) is beautiful. Waimea Canyon is nice. The Fern Grotto is a pleasant hour/hour and a half trip. Lot of movies (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Six Days Seven Nights) filmed there. Try the movie tour if you get a chance. Very relaxing place. If you like to sit by the pool and relax it's a perfect choice.
Cafe Pomodoro near Poipu is great for Italian food.
A little more open and suburban than Kauai - little more going on. Lahaina has some night life; good jazz, decent pizza. The road to Hana is fantastic for good drivers who like to drive challenging twisty roads. Maui is actually my favorite island of the bunch.
Urban. It's where the action is if you like cities. More than 800,000 people call Oahu home (including me). Most of the big historical attractions are on Oahu -- Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl, etc.
More rural than the others. It's about the size of Connecticut; lots of ranching there and of course the famous lava fields.
I don't have the specific numbers at the moment, but I'll look them up and update the page accordingly. Basically the resident population breaks down as roughly 33% Caucasian, 33% Japanese and the other 34% is a mixture of Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, Hawaiian and a wide variety of other nationalities and races. Hawaii is probably the most racially diverse state in the United States.
Well, "nice" is sort of a subjective thing. In my experience the people here are generally quite friendly. Polynesians in general tend to be a pretty friendly culture ("Aloha" is a Hawaiian word, remember) and the relatively relaxed lifestyle here tends to make for a friendly group of folks. Also the Hawaii economy is heavily dependant upon tourism so, especially in those areas that cater to visitors, you're going to find folks who are fairly welcoming.
One of the most beloved entertainers in modern Hawaii. Brudda Iz was a big man in every respect of the word. Though long popular in his native Hawaii it was only relatively recently that the rest of the world discovered him through his marvelous medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Beautiful World." Iz passed away on June 26th, 1997 at 38 years old. Despite the fact that he had lost quite a bit of weight it was too little, too late and his health finally failed.
On a personal note I had the opportunity to communicate with Brudda Iz via e-mail, very briefly, a few months or so before he passed away. It was my impression from that brief exchange that he was as warm and kind a man as he was reputed to be. A real loss when he passed on.
Head Coach of the University of Hawaii football team. Engineered a dramatic turnaround when he first arrived. The shine has worn off a bit as subsequent seasons have been a bit up and down, but still mostly popular.
Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.
Governor of Hawaii. I'm not sure what's remarkable; that Hawaii elected a woman governor or that they elected a Republican governor. We haven't had one of either in a very long time.
O.k.,. this is two guys but they're so often together that it's hard to separate them. As a team they are the most popular morning DJ team on Hawaii radio. Perry is a classic broadcaster type -- Perry is a local boy and former U.H. football coach. They're entertaining and opinionated; especially Perry who seems to have grown increasingly conservative in the last couple of years.
Well, not quite everything, but like many Hawaiian words it has more than meaning. The three basic meanings of it are hello, goodbye and love. You can greet folks or say goodbye with "Aloha" and if you see it used in a phrase, such as "Aloha aina" (love of the land) it usually means love.
The word literally means "acquainted" but it's common usage in Hawaii means a Hawaii resident. Most of the tourism groups (hotels, tour companies, etc.) offer a "Kama'aina Discount" which is a discounted price for local residents. Say it "kah-mah-EYE-nah".
No, I live in Hawaii. There's a big difference. If you live in California then you're a Californian. Living in Hawaii does not make you a Hawaiian. Hawaiians are kanaka maori (native folks) who have at least a certain amount of Hawaiian blood in their heritage -- i.e. they are descended, at least partially, from the Polynesians who settled here long before westerners came upon these islands.
Well, yes a little, but probably not more expensive than it is in San Francisco, for example. Home prices are rising fast here; gasoline is pricey and some grocery items are surprisingly pricey. If you get out of the tourist areas, however, the prices are not really much higher than in some other big cities.