The beautiful and unique landscape of coastal Oahu, Hawaii
The State of Hawaii is a collection of islands in the central Pacific Ocean that are the most northern islands in Polynesia. The state of Hawaii is made up of eight major islands: the Big Island of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. With approximately 1.4 million residents, Hawaii is the 40th most populous state and ranks 13th in population density. It was the most recent state to join the Union, having joined in 1959. Prior to becoming a state, Hawaii was known as the Kingdom of Hawaii (1810-1893), then as an independent republic (1894-1898), and finally as a United States territory from 1989 to 1959.
Polynesian settlers are thought to have arrived in Hawaii as early as 300 CE. Later settlers in the 11th century included those from Bora Bora and Raiatea.
Some believe that Spanish explorers may have landed in Hawaii in the 1500s, but James Cook was the first to document the island in 1778.
Hawaii is the only state that is not geographically located in North America.
The name Hawaii is thought to derive from the Proto-Polynesian word hawaiki, which means “homeland” or “the place of the gods.”
Hawaii is the only state that is expanding in size. This is due to the continuous eruptions of volcanic ash.
The ‘Aloha State’ is Hawaii’s nickname.
The kukui, also known as the candlenut, is Hawaii’s state tree.
The nene, or Hawaiian goose, is the state bird of Hawaii.
‘Hawaii Ponoi’ is the state song of Hawaii.
Honolulu is the state capital of Hawaii.
The Hawaiian Islands cover a total land area of 10,931 square miles.
Barack Obama was born in the Hawaiian state of Hawaii. He is the only president who was not born in the United States.
The state’s official languages are English and Hawaiian. Tongan, Samoan, and Pidgin are among the other languages spoken.
When Polynesians settled in Hawaii thousands of years ago, they invented surfing. Surfing is also known as heenalu.
Only the monk seal and the hoary bat are indigenous to Hawaii. Humans brought everything else.
Molokai was once home to a leper colony.
Mt. Waialeale on Kauai is the rainiest place on the planet, receiving 476 inches of rain per year.
Hawaii is the only state in the United States that grows coffee.
Underwater volcanoes formed Hawaii thousands of years ago.
There is no daylight savings time in Hawaii. They adhere to Hawaiian Standard Time.
In Hawaii, there are no minorities because everyone is a minority.
On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor, killing thousands. This was the impetus behind the United States’ entry into World War II.
Hawaii’s population was approximately one million in 1778, but due to disease and war, it had declined to approximately 22,000 by 1919. The current population is around 1.4 million people.
Hawaii produces the majority of the world’s macadamia nuts.
Because of its warm climate, Hawaii is a popular tourist destination all year.
The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only 12 letters: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, and W.
