Some of the most popular islands to visit are the Hawaiian Islands. These are part of the United States, so U.S. residents can travel freely without needing a passport. There are also many islands that make up Hawaii, so many people can go without the islands feeling overcrowded and overwhelming. Most frequent visitors have a favorite island, but the most widely visited islands are Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. Kauai is the fourth largest, 562 square miles of land, and is on the north side of the islands.

Hawaii is known as the big island, with an area of 4,028 square miles. It houses over 175,000 residents and is well known for producing sugarcane, which was one of the island’s most profitable sources of income until 1996 when the last plant closed. It still boasts rich agriculture, with large amounts of papaya, vegetables, coffee beans, flowers, and macadamia nuts still being grown and produced. It is known as the Orchid Isle due to having such a large production of tropical orchids. This island is also home to the tallest mountain in the world (when measured from where it begins within the ocean), Mauna Kea. The island is made up of five volcanoes which are overlapping and have all erupted: Hualalai, Mauna Kea, Kohala, Kilauea, and Mauna Loa. Below the sea is the undersea volcano, Loihi, which is more than 980 miles below the ocean’s surface.

Maui is located in the middle of the Hawaiian islands and has an area of 727 square miles. It is home to more than 117,000 residents and the climate is basically always moderate with high humidity and plenty of brief mid-afternoon rain showers. For whale-watchers, Maui is the ideal location since humpback whales spend their winters in the channels between Maui and other Hawaiian islands. Maui is also a rich agricultural location, producing macadamia nuts, pineapple, and sugar, as well as many other items. There is also an Air Force research laboratory on this island, and the Haleakala Observatory which is an astronomical research center containing missiles, satellites, and communication research and production.