Volcanism on Kaua'i Island ended about 3.8 million years ago, making it the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands.
The higher the ratio, the older the rock. These measurements showed that the Big Island of Hawaii, at the southeastern end of the archipelago, is the youngest of the chain, with an estimated age of less than half a million years (Panel 1).
Ni'ihau is estimated to be 4.9-6 million years old. This means it is likely the oldest Hawaiian island after Kauai, which is 5-5.8 million years old. Ni'ihau is comprised of one major extinct volcano; it last erupted roughly 350,000 years ago according to vulcanologists.
The Hawaiian Islands, by Age
Kauai is approximately 5.1 million years old, followed by Oahu at 2.2 to 3.4 million years old. Molokai is next, at 1.3 to 1.9 million years old; Lanai, at approximately 1.3 million years; and Maui, at 0.8 to 1.3 million years old.
The character of Maui is played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who grew up in Hawai'i. The story of the demigod Maui stretches across the Pacific and is estimated to be over 1000 years old. Always on a quest to empower mankind, Maui has become an endearing icon to the people of Polynesia.
The county seat of the Big Island, Hilo is the oldest city in the Hawaiian island chain. This historic town has a lively music, arts, and food scene, plus stunning natural beauty with it's waterfalls and beaches.
Islands: Weird Wonderland
Madagascar, the planet's oldest island, was formed when it broke away from the Indian continental plate 88 million years ago.
Currently there is approximately 100-250 residents on Niihau, all thought to be full-blooded Hawaiians, and it is the last place in Hawaii where Hawaiian is still spoken fluently as the predominant language. The Robinson family provides residents with basic domestic and health needs.
Lava from shield volcanoes flows like water by choosing the path of least resistance. So, the areas closest to the rift zone are at the greatest risk for receiving lava flows if Haleakalā would erupt in the future. Scientists predict that Haleakalā will erupt again within the next 500 years.
With its jagged cliffs, lush valleys, and paradisiacal beaches, Kauai is truly heaven on earth and is our top pick for the most beautiful island in Hawaii. While it would be impossible to squeeze in everything that makes Kauai so special, we have narrowed it down to the top 3 must-see destinations in Kauai.
A privately owned island with an estimated 170 residents, Niihau, aka Niʻihau, is commonly referred to as Hawaii's “Forbidden Island.” This invite-only destination tantalizes travelers from across the globe due to its extreme exclusivity.
Today, Molokai is the least populated of the islands, with over half of its population 100 percent native Hawaiian.
The island first earned its “forbidden” status in the 1930s, when the Robinsons completely cut off visits to Niihau to protect inhabitants from new diseases, including measles and, later, polio.
Kahoolawe (pronounced kah-hoh-oh-lah-wey) is a deserted island in the Hawaii Island chain, about 7 miles southwest of Maui. Kahoolawe is the smallest of the Hawaiian islands (the others being Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Big Island, Lanai, and Niihau).
If you've made it to this post – you've probably heard of Lanai, sometimes called Hawaii's private island. (It's so named because 98% of the island is held by a single owner, currently Larry Ellison from the Oracle Corporation.)
Molokai is the least visited island of Hawaii. With about 65,000 visitors, the island attracts only a fraction of all the tourists that visit the island group each year. The island is more rural and doesn't have resorts.
Prior to the Pearl Harbour attack, the Imperial Japanese Navy had designated Niʻihau, mistakenly believed to be uninhabited, as a location for aircraft damaged in the attack to land. Pilots were told they could wait on the island until they were rescued by submarine.
North Sentinel Island, Andaman Islands
This island topped the list of forbidden islands. Situated in the Bay of Bengal, the North Sentinel Island is best known for its famous inhabitants: the Sentinelese. These are a small tribe who have been residing on the island for more than 60,000 years!
According to Britannica, an island is a mass of land that is both “entirely surrounded by water” and also “smaller than a continent.” By that definition, Australia can't be an island because it's already a continent.
Prior to the 1950s, before the popularization of the theory of plate tectonics, Antarctica, Australia and Greenland were sometimes described as island continents, but none were usually taught as one of the world's continents in English-speaking countries.
Australia began its journey across the surface of the Earth as an isolated continent between about 55 and 10 million years ago, and continues to move north by about seven centimetres each year.
Jericho, Palestine
A small city with a population of 20,000 people, Jericho, which is located in Palestine, is believed to be the oldest city in the world. Indeed, some of the earliest archeological evidence from the area dates back 11,000 years.
Most everyone knows that Hawaii was once called the Sandwich Islands. Today that name is used infrequently to evoke a certain nostalgia and quaintness. During the early and mid-19th century, however, the name Sandwich Islands was used extensively, particularly by foreigners.
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was sovereign from 1810 until 1893, when resident American and European capitalists and landholders overthrew the monarchy. Hawaiʻi was an independent republic from 1894 until August 12, 1898, when it officially became a U.S. territory. Hawaiʻi was admitted as a U.S. state on August 21, 1959.