OTIS W. FREEMAN

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ARE ECONOMICALLY WELL DEVELOPED AND HAVE
strategic importance because of their location at the crossroads of
steamer and airplane routes in the north Pacific. The Territory of
Hawaii includes all the Hawaiian chain except Midway, which is a
separate possession of the United States. For administrative purposes
Palmyra Island is included in the Territory, but it is not a part of the
Hawaiian chain. Hawaii has about 500,000 people living on the 6435
square miles of the main islands, seven of which are inhabited. Al-
though only one-sixth of the Territory is called tillable and less than
8 per cent is cropped, yet the land under cultivation is so productive
that nearly $150,000,0000 worth of sugar and pineapples are produced
annually.

The Hawaiian Islands rise above an elongated submarine platform
or ridge that stretches for almost 2000 statute miles in a southeast to
northwest direction, between the parallels of 18° 40′ to 28° 40′ north,
and, the meridians of 154° 30′ to 178° 40′ west. The platform is sup-
posedly constructed of volcanic materials that were erupted from a
zone of fissures on the ocean floor; besides the visible islands there are
several submarine peaks and numerous banks.

The Hawaiian chain ( Fig. 95 ) can be divided into three sections
based on the nature of the islands and the stage of erosion. The
southeastern portion is about 400 miles long, and embraces eight high
volcanic islands that are only moderately reduced by erosion. These
islands are Hawaii (4030 square miles), Maui (728), Lanai (141),
Kahoolawe (45), Molokai (260), Oahu (604), Kauai (555), and

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