Final answer:
The Hawaiian Islands are located 2,000 miles southwest of California. They comprise many islands formed by volcanic activity from a stationary undersea hotspot while the tectonic plate shifts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Hawaiian Islands are located 2,000 miles southwest of the state of California. The Hawaiian archipelago is one of the most remote island groups in the Pacific and consists of approximately 137 islands and atolls, stretching across 1,500 miles. These islands are formed by volcanic activity from a stationary undersea magma source known as a hotspot, while the tectonic plate above it moves, continuously creating new volcanoes. You can visualize the Hawaiian Islands as a chain with its northernmost point closer to Alaska, but when considering the distance directly southwest of a state, California is the correct answer.