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Hawaii: Four Interesting Facts About This Tropical Paradise

By Ella Hemmings


It's not hard to understand why people flock to Hawaii every year. After all, the sun-kissed beaches and amazing scenery are two fantastic reasons to come. Nearly 5 million people visit Oahu each year and about three million head to Maui. The Big Island, Kauai, Lanai and Molokai also have plenty of tourists during the year. Here are some more interesting facts about Hawaii.

The archipelago of Hawaii actually contains a wide variety of islands, atolls and reefs, as many as 137 in all. Typically this archipelago is divided into the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands, the latter of which includes the eight main islands of Hawaii (The Big Island), Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, Kahoolawe and Niihau. All are inhabited except Kahoolawe and fewer than 200 people live in Niihau. The Leeward Islands include Midway Island, which is known for the Battle of Midway during World War II.

Hawaii is the only state to have once been a monarchy with its own royal family. In the late 18th century, after much fighting between leaders of different islands, all of the main islands were united under one ruler. King Kamehameha the Great was the first monarch of the House of Kamehameha and his family ruled the island until 1872. At this point, the House of Kalakaua reigned over Hawaii until 1893 when the United States overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii.

While you might just picture sandy beaches and lush rainforest when you imagine Hawaii, it is actually extraordinarily diverse. There are 13 climate zones found on earth and The Big Island actually includes 8 of these. In just one day, you could go from a hot, dry, arid desert to a freezing cold tundra climate. There are areas on The Big Island that receive almost no rainfall and areas such as Mount Waialeale, which is one of the rainiest spots on earth. It also snows in Hawaii at the summits of Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala.

Hawaii destination weddings and honeymoons are quite popular. About 20,000 couples get married every year in Hawaii, primarily on Oahu and Maui. Obtaining a wedding license is fairly easy in Hawaii, and there are so many interesting places to tie the knot. You might opt for a ceremony right on the sand or perhaps prefer to be married in a historic Lahaina chapel. Botanical gardens, plantations and spectacular resorts are a few other spots where Maui destination weddings often occur. While it might seem difficult to plan a Maui destination wedding, the trick is to simply hire a Maui wedding planner.

At Love Maui Weddings, for example, the staff has a full selection of romantic Maui wedding packages to consider. These range from intimate elopements and vow renewals to larger weddings and receptions. In addition, you can create your own custom wedding, as well. They can help you with all of the details including securing beach permits, finding a minister, hiring a photographer, arranging for flowers and music and much more.




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