This page is miscellaneous information, some factual some fabled, about the Big Island. It is meant to inform and intrigue, to make you think of possibilities and to see the world through different eyes. Deepok Chopra said something to the effect that an experience is nothing more than the label you give it. That label is usually culled from our individual experiences, our history, the events of the past that have shaped our lives and our environment. Living in Hawaii, a land steeped with Aloha, can change forever your labels, those feelings and emotions that you link to events. Hawaii is an experience; you must immerse yourself in it to truly understand what it is. You have to be willing to leave your other world behind and live here, live aloha. GEOLOGY & DEMOGRAPHY The Big Island is called that because it is larger than all the other islands combined. It's over 4,000 square miles in size and growing. We are riding an active volcano, actually we're on the Pacific plate and are riding over a hot spot that has created a volcano. It is currently located in the south east portion of the island and doesn't now threaten any population centers; however, that could change at any time since with the exception of Mauna Kea and the Kohalas, they're either active or inactive but not dormant. Legend has it that Pele makes her home in the volcano. Herb Kane, a local artist and author of international stature wrote, "As long as the earth is alive with quakes and eruptions, Pele will live in Hawaiian hearts and minds as the personification of the natural phenomena of volcanic activity". Hawaii island is made up of five major volcanoes and countless minor vents that never really grew up. At the north end of the island is the Kohala Mountain range. Just to the south of that is Mauna Kea, "White Mountain" (13,796') known internationally for its observatories and locally for its skiing. Next comes Hualalai at just over 8,000 feet, a back drop to Kona that last erupted in 1801. Legend says that the flow from the mountain was nearing one of the villages and that Kamehameha the Great stopped the eruption by cutting a lock of hair and offering it to Pele as a gift while standing at the craters edge. The volcano has not erupted since. Further south is Mauna Loa (13,679'), "Long Mountain". Mauna Loa is still considered an active volcano last erupting in 1984. It is also the worlds most massive volcano covering over 1,000 square miles. Our most active volcano is Kilauea (much spewing) which has been erupting pretty much non-stop since 1983. Pele is still a resident of Hawaii island but has started a vacation home on the newest of the Hawaiian islands named Lo'ihi located about 26 miles south of this island. Lo'ihi is still 3,000' below the surface and not expected to appear in my lifetime; however, I'm told there is a golf course planned for her when she does break the surface. Population; the 2001 census reports there are about 148,677 people on the island, most in Hilo, Puna is second, then Kona then South Kohala which is Waimea (also called Kamuela, named after Parker's son Samuel because there was already another Waimea on Oahu) and Waikoloa, then who knows. People are spread all over the island, there's really not a bad place to live here except very near the volcano and even then there are some people doing that. Hilo is the seat of government for Hawaii county, for now. There is a movement to split the island into two counties which has a lot of backing because of the size and the different needs of the two sides. Hilo's population is divided between North Hilo, 1,600 and South Hilo, 45,900. Can you guess where the government is? Next comes the Puna district on the south east side of the island with about 26,700 people. North Kona has about 24,900 and South Kona another 8,500. Ethnicity wise, Hawaii island is a real mix. The 2001 census shows Caucasians now make up the biggest portion of the population at 31.5%, Mixed races at 28.4%, Asians at 26.7%, Native Hawaiians at 11.2%, Others at 1.1%, Blacks and American Indians at .09%. [ Back to top ] WEATHER Of the thirteen climate zones in the world, the Big Island has eleven of them so pick a spot. If you want wet and rainy try the Hilo side, warm and dry try Kona side. If you want a desert head south, rain forest go to Puna, and if you want to ski in the winter go to Mauna Kea. If you're looking for ideal weather then come to Kona. The west side of the island gets less than 20" of rain per year, that's at sea level. If you move up the slopes of Hualalai you get into the clouds and if you go high enough you get rain everyday. That rain is the source of fresh water for the Kona coast. The almost daily rains percolate into deep lava tubes that drain into underground wells. Much of the fresh water can be seen running into the ocean along the shore line especially after heavy rains. By moving up the mountain slopes you can pick the temperature you wish to live in. The higher you get the cooler the outside air. There are people living above the 2,000' level that actually have heat in their homes. Back at sea level, a unique rain pattern emerges. It usually only rains at night. Most mornings are crystal clear with clouds forming in the afternoon. By sunset, which is almost always visible, the clouds begin to clear away and there are starry nights. We are pretty much limited to two seasons, Summer and Winter. Summer runs from May to October and is warmer and wetter than Winter. From November to April the weather is cooler and drier. Average temperature in August is 81°F and the average in January and February is 74°F. Yearly average temperature is 77°F. The coldest temperature was a frosty 58°F and the all time high was 95°F. It doesn't get much better than this. [ Back to top ] EMPLOYMENT, JOBS, ETC. The Big Island, the west side in particular, has continued to grow despite the opposite trend on the other islands (with the exception of Maui). More and more people are discovering the beauty, the rural nature of the island, and the tranquil environment to be found here. The two biggest employers on the island are the state and county governments followed by the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel. The service industry ranks number one and will probably remain number one for awhile to come. There are lots of other opportunities however. One of the most promising fields is that of health. Hawaii island is becoming known as the "Health Island". Thanks in part to the new North Hawaii Community Hospital which opened in June of 1996, the Big Island is home to a variety of health practitioners ranging from traditional MD's to those who practice Hawaiian herbal healing and every discipline in between. Wellness practitioners from around the world are being attracted to the island and it's leading edge hospital as well as a reputation reaching back 150 years to the likes of Jack London and Isabella Bird who wrote about the island's healing effects both mentally and physically. As the Big Island has grown we have seen the opening of many of the major retail stores. It began with Costco/Price Club in 1993 followed closely by K-Mart, Walmart and Safeway. Other national names like Borders Books, Ross' Dress for Less and now the Hard Rock Cafe and Starbucks are coming on the scene as well as Home Depot and Lowe's. In the wake of this growth there is an increasing demand for niche services. Entrepreneurs are finding a wealth of opportunity which includes investment counseling, book keeping services, errand services, physical fitness trainers, computer services, cellular phone providers, specialty shops, local arts, all the healing arts and massage. There are as many opportunities as there are good ideas. With the advent of telecommuting, your job may not even be physically here. I know more than one person who works that way; one sits on her lanai with a Power Book computer and a modem and recruits executives on the mainland for mainland firms. I know another that handles rental property almost 6 months out of the year while enjoying Kona sunsets. There are job opportunities even though you may have to create them yourself. [ Back to top ] EDUCATION Hawaii's schools have always gotten mixed reviews. My son attended both public and private schools here from 5th grade through his senior year in high school. In my experience, the education a child gets is directly proportional to the interest paid by the parent(s) to that education. As of the fall of 1999 there were 27,557 students enrolled in all public schools on the island of Hawaii in K through 12. Private schools had another 1,950 students. The University of Hawaii Hilo had a 2000 enrollment of 2,874 students, issued 447 degrees and have a faculty of 410. There are a variety of schools available both public and private. For complete information please go to http://doe.k12.hi.us/. [ Back to top ] » Geology & Demography » Weather » Employment, Jobs, etc. » Education Total Number of islands: 137 Major islands - 8 Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui & Hawaii State Flower: Yellow Hibiscus State Bird: Hawaiian goose (nene) State Fish: Humuhumunukunukuapua'a State Tree: Candlenut (kukui) State song: Hawai'i Pono'i Resident population (2000): 1,211,537 Hawaii County (2000): 148,677 Population: 50% male, 50% female Median age (2000): 36.2 years Ethnicity (2000):   Hawaiian/part Hawaiian 22.1%   Caucasian 20.5%   Japanese 18.3%   Filipino 12.3%   Chinese 4.1% Life expectancy (1990): Males, 75.9 years; Females, 82.0 years.