Sandwich Islands facts for kids
The Sandwich Islands was the name Captain James Cook gave to the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. He named them after his friend and supporter, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Today, we know them by their original Polynesian name: Hawaii. The first people to live in Hawaii came from Polynesia around 1,000 years after the birth of Christ.
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Discovering the Hawaiian Islands
In 1778, Captain James Cook, a famous British explorer, was on his third big voyage across the Pacific Ocean. He was looking for a passage to the Atlantic Ocean. During his journey, he came across a group of islands that were not on his maps. These islands were the Hawaiian Islands.
Why the Name "Sandwich Islands"?
Captain Cook decided to name these new islands after his patron, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. A patron is someone who supports an artist, explorer, or scientist. The Earl of Sandwich was an important person who helped fund Cook's expeditions. This is why the islands were known as the Sandwich Islands for a long time.
From Sandwich Islands to Hawaii
Even though Captain Cook gave the islands a new name, the local people already had their own name for them: Hawaii. This name comes from the Polynesian language. Over time, the original name, Hawaii, became the official and most common name for the islands. It honors the rich history and culture of the Polynesian people who first settled there.
Amazing Volcanic Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are not just ordinary islands. They are actually the tops of huge volcanoes! Most of these massive volcanoes are hidden deep below the ocean's surface.
How Hawaii Was Formed
These islands were created by something called a "hotspot." Imagine a super hot spot deep inside the Earth. As the Earth's crust slowly moves over this hotspot, magma (melted rock) pushes up and erupts, forming new volcanoes. Over millions of years, this process created a long chain of islands and underwater mountains. The youngest and most active volcanoes are on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Tallest Peaks
Some of the tallest mountains in Hawaii are actually volcanoes. For example, Mauna Loa is about 4,170 meters (13,680 feet) high, and Mauna Kea is about 4,207 meters (13,802 feet) high. These heights are measured from sea level. However, if you measure them from their base on the ocean floor, they are even taller than Mount Everest!
Images for kids
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The Hawaiian Islands seen from space.
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A 3-D view of the southeastern Hawaiian Islands. You can see the white tops of Mauna Loa (4170 m high) and Mauna Kea (4207.3 m high). The islands are the tops of huge volcanoes, with most of them under the sea. Ocean depths are shown in different colors. Red areas show where lava has flowed from volcanoes like Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Hualalai on Hawaiʻi.
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A picture of the Hawaiian Islands from NASA satellites, taken from outer space. Click to see more of the main islands and the long chain of islands.
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The Hawaii hotspot created a trail of underwater mountains across the Pacific over millions of years. This chain is called the Emperor Seamounts.
See also
In Spanish: Archipiélago de Hawái para niños
