What does HI mean in STATES

The Big Island (also known as Hawaii Island) is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands and covers an area of 4,028 square miles. Big Island is twice the size of all other Hawaiian Islands combined and home to 11 out of the 13 climate zones in the world.

Popular activities on Hawaii include snorkeling, swimming, surfing, kayaking, scuba diving, sailing, whale watching, golfing, horseback riding, hiking and volcano tours. Tourists can also explore local culture by visiting museums and cultural sites or taking part in traditional Hawaiian luau feasts.

There are many top attractions in Hawaii that visitors will want to experience. Some of these locations include Waikiki Beach in Honolulu; Pearl Harbor Naval Base; Mauna Kea and Haleakala National Parks; Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve; Kokee State Park; Waimea Canyon State Park; Lahaina Town Historic District; Polynesian Cultural Center; Volcanoes National Park; Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park and Akaka Falls State Park.

If you are traveling to any of the islands within the state of Hawaii, you should fly into Honolulu International Airport (HNL). This airport is located on Oahu which is served by most major domestic airlines as well as some international carriers.

Hawaiian cuisine is a blend of many ethnic influences with traditional elements such as seafood, tropical fruits and local vegetables forming a large part of meals. Common dishes include Kalua pig (pork slow cooked underground), poke (raw fish salad) and poi (mashed taro root). Huli-Huli Chicken (grilled chicken marinated in pineapple juice) is another popular dish.

Rainfall varies depending on location within the state - higher elevations tend to get more rainfall while lower elevations have less rain. In general though rainfall tends to be quite low compared with other US states – for example Honolulu averages only around 21 inches per year making it one of America's drier cities.

While snow does not occur often throughout all of Hawaii’s islands due to its tropical location snow has been reported at higher elevations such as Mauna Loa summit on Big Island, Maui’s Haleakala volcano summit and Mount Wai‘ale‘ale near Lihue Kauai.

While there are no dangerous land mammals native to Hawaiian islands a variety of sea creatures can pose risks when swimming including jellyfish, Portuguese Man o' War, stingrays and sharks which may inhabit shallow waters close to shore so caution is advised.