Dona Sims, age 11, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, for her question:

How big is Hawaii?

Hawaii is but one island in a series of islands. Since it is the largest of the group we call the archipelago the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii is the largest and most southerly of the group and it covers an area of 4,021 square miles.

Apart from Hawaii, there are seven main islands and a number of small isles. Each has a lovely sounding name suitable for an island, paradise. Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaiians, is on the island of Oahu. The total land area of the archipelago is estimated to be about 6,407 square miles. This means that our fiftieth state will be only one‑seventh the size of Pennsylvania, but more than five timos larger than little Rhode island