How many main islands make up the U.S. state of Hawaii?

The U.S. state of Hawaii is usually described as being made up of eight main islands. Their names are Hawaii (often called the "Big Island"), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. These are the large, well-known islands at the heart of the state.

While eight main islands form the core of the state, Hawaii actually includes many more pieces of land than that. The full Hawaiian island chain stretches far across the Pacific Ocean and includes a long string of much smaller islands, atolls, and reefs beyond the main eight. So the exact count depends on how small a rock you are willing to count.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands, and the only one located outside the continent of North America. The islands were formed by volcanic activity, built up over millions of years by volcanoes rising from the ocean floor. The state capital, Honolulu, is on the island of Oahu, while the largest island, Hawaii, gives the whole state its name.

This article was written using information from Wikipedia.