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Nihoa Island
Nihoa Island is the largest volcanic island in the Northwestern Hawaiian chain, with an area of about 170 acres of land.
There are a large number of archaeological features on the island including religious and agricultural sites.
Necker Island
Necker Island is shaped like a fishhook and covers about 45 acres of land. The highest point is 84 m (277 ft) at Summit Hill.
There are numerous archaeological sites on Necker. The architecture of these sites, and the style of the objects found there, resemble those of the Marquesas Islands, thousands of kilometers to the southeast.
French Frigate Shoals
The French Frigate Shoals are an unusual crescent-shaped atoll about 29 km (18 mi) wide.
There are 12 sandy islets scattered around the lagoon.
Over 90% of all Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles are hatched on these islets, which are also home to a variety of birds and Hawaiian Monk Seals.
A tiger shark trying to attack an albatross
Laysan Island
Laysan Island is a low lying sandy island that covers about 1000 acres.
In the center of the island is a hypersaline lake. The water in the lake ranges in salinity between 12-14%. This makes it more than 3 times as salty as the ocean.
Laysan is the home to two endangered birds: a finch and a duck.
Lisianski Island
Lisianski is a low island that covers an area of 400 acres.
The surrounding reef area covers more than 310,000 acres.
Lisianski was by accidentally discovered in 1805, when a ship under the Russian captain, Yurii Lisianski, ran aground.
Pearl and Hermes Atoll
Pearl and Hermes Atoll is made up of seven islets that are so low that they are occasionally covered with water.
The reef is estimated to be about 200,000 acres in size.
It was discovered on April 26, 1822 when two English whaling ships, the Pearl and the Hermes, were wrecked there during a storm.
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Maro Reef
Maro Reef is a largely submerged atoll with only about 1 acre of land that is sometimes underwater. The surrounding reef habitat is about 475,000 acres in size.
Maro was discovered in 1820 by Captain Joseph Allen of the ship, Maro.
Maro is home to a number of Hawaiian monk seals.
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Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll has three small islets on its southeast end. The islets have a combined size of about 1,550 acres.
Midway was the last of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to be discovered. Captain N.C. Brooks claimed the island for the United States in 1859. It was originally named Middlebrooks.
For centuries, thousands of albatrosses have lived on the desolate islands that comprise the Midway Atoll. Beautiful in flight, but ungainly in their movement on land, the albatrosses were called "gooney birds" by the men stationed on the islands during World War II. The birds soiled the runways, clogged the engines of departing aircraft, and were always, always underfoot. Today, the shadows of their huge wings still dapple the glassy sea as they glide towards the islands to nest. They still perch on the airport runways and the old ammunition magazines and gun batteries, but they no longer need to do daily battle with America's armed forces for possession of the islands.
Inhabited by humans for less than a century, Midway dominated world news for a brief time in the early summer of 1942. These tiny islands were the focus of a brutal struggle between the Japanese Imperial Navy and the United States Pacific Fleet. The U.S. victory here ended Japan's seemingly unstoppable advance across the Pacific and began a U.S. offensive that would end three years later at the doorstep of the Home Islands.
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Kure
Kure Atoll is nearly circular with a 10 km (6 mi) diameter. The highest point, 6.1 m (20 ft) is found on Green Island.
Kure was discovered by the Russian ship Moller in 1827.
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