9 Fun Facts That Prove Just How Isolated The Hawaiian Islands Truly Are
The Hawaiian Islands are easily the most unique place in America, if not the entire world, and that’s not just because it’s a tropical island chain. In addition to its fascinating, yet tumultuous, history and a unique culture that has been shaped and influenced by a variety of peoples over the course of several centuries, Hawaii is the most isolated population center on earth and here are nine facts that prove just how isolated our beautiful islands are — from America and the rest of the world.
1. The Aloha State is separated from the United States mainland — California, to be specific — by 2,390 miles. That’s approximately a five-hour flight from the Los Angeles International Airport to the Honolulu International Airport.
(To pretend you’re in Japan without leaving the islands, visit Byodo-In Temple, a half-size-scale replica of a famous temple in Kyoto, Japan that is more than 950 years old.)
3. Hawaii has its very own time zone — Hawaiian Standard Time — and does not participate in daylight savings time.
4. While this makes it a pain to transport your pets to and from Hawaii, everyone can be happy about living in a rabies-free state. Due to its isolated location, it’s no surprise that Hawaii is the only state in the country without rabies.
For reference, the Hawaiian Islands stretch approximately 1,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean.
6. The Hawaiian Islands are home to hundreds of endemic plant and animal species you won’t find anywhere else in the world — like the Hawaiian monk seal and the nene, which is the rarest goose in the world.
7. You won’t find many out-of-state license plates here. Because newcomers have to register their vehicles within 30 days of arrival, it’s rare to see anything other than Hawaii’s iconic rainbow plates. Hawaii does have interstate highways, though — weird, right?
9. Not a single one of America’s largest banks — including Bank of America, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo — offers a physical retail location in Hawaii.
So, do you have a little more perspective on just how isolated Hawaii truly is? Are there any other facts that have made you realize how far Hawaii is from the mainland United States and the rest of the world?
Address: Hawaii, USA
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With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
