I\u2019ve been getting a fair amount of hits with search terms like “smallest island in Hawaii” and “smallest population in Hawaii.” This probably means a new geo-trivia contest recently started or a homework assignment for a standardized curriculum just came due. The answer is more interesting than I imagined, and once again it comes down to “it depends.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, let\u2019s dispense with the easier question which involves the smallest Hawaiian island by size. There are more than a hundred islands, islets, outcrops, reefs or atolls depending on how one counts them — one commonly referenced value is 137 although I have not been able to source it. These features stretch 2,400 kilometres (1,500 miles) along the backbone forming the Hawaiian archipelago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some are intermittent. They rise above and fall beneath the waves as different weather conditions prevail. Which islands is the smallest? It can change at anytime. No single answer can claim the title permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, let\u2019s move on to the question of smallest population. Put aside the numerous uninhabited islands and focus on the remaining few with permanent populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n