The Hawaiian Islands are situated about two thousand miles away from North America, right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Despite  the distance the islands actually make up the fiftieth state of the United States. The islands were all formed by volcanic eruption and on the largest of the islands, Hawaii, or the Big Island, there are still two active volcanoes, the Mauna Loa and the Kilauea, which still erupt every few years. On the Hawaiian islands the natives have a particularly strange way of indicating directions. They don't use the north, south, east and west system common to the rest of the world. They use the mauka andmakaisystem.Maukameans "mountain". The mountains in Hawaii are always at the center of the islands, as these are volcanic islands.Makaimeans "the sea". The islands are small and the system is simple. Wherever you want to visit, it can always be described in terms of where it lies in relation to the mountains and the sea. A typical conversation between a native Hawaiian and a tourist might go as follow. TOURIST: Excuse me! Could you tell me where the Sheraton Hotel is? HAWAIIAN: Well... Let me see! From here it's two blocks mauka, and then one blockmakai. You can't miss it! Choose the most suitable title for the article.
The Big Island. Volcanoes. Giving Directions in Hawaii The Hawaiian Islands.