Hawaii (: Hawai I
Hawaii (: Hawai I
Hawaii (: Hawai I
50th and most recent state to have joined the Union, having received
statehood on August 21, 1959.[9] Hawaii is the only U.S. state geographically
located in Oceania, although it is governed as a part of North America,[10] and
the only one composed entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group
in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.[11]
The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which
comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the
southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from
northwest to
southeast: Niʻ ihau, Kauaʻ i, Oʻ ahu, Molokaʻ i, Lānaʻ i, Kahoʻ olawe, Maui,
and Hawaiʻ i. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the
"Big Island" or "Hawaiʻ i Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago.
The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian
subregion of Oceania.
Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most
densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. It is the only state with
an Asian plurality. The state's oceanic coastline is about 750 miles (1,210 km)
long, the fourth longest in the U.S. after the coastlines of Alaska, Florida,
and California.
Contents
1Etymology
2.1Topography
2.2Geology
2.4Protected areas
2.5Climate
3History
3.2European arrival
3.3Kingdom of Hawaiʻ i
4Demographics
4.1Population
4.2Ancestry
4.3Languages
4.4Religion
4.5Birth data
4.6LGBT
5Economy
5.1Taxation
5.2Cost of living
6Culture
6.1Cuisine
6.3Hawaiian mythology
6.4Polynesian mythology
6.6Literature
6.7Music
6.8Sports
7Tourism
8Health
9Education
9.1Public schools
9.2Private schools
9.4Pūnana Leo
10Transportation
10.1Rail
11Governance
11.2State government
11.3Federal government
11.4Politics
11.5State police
14See also
15Notes
16References
17Bibliography
18External links
Etymology
The state of Hawaii derives its name from the name of its largest
island, Hawaiʻ i. A common Hawaiian explanation of the name of Hawaiʻ i is
that it was named for Hawaiʻ iloa, a legendary figure from Hawaiian myth. He
is said to have discovered the islands when they were first settled.[12][13]
0)
Popu
latio Hig Ag
Nick n hes Elev e
Isla Densit
nam Area (as t atio (M Location
nd y
e of poi n a)[
201 nt 21]
0)
0)
km2) km2) 6 m)
44.6 sq 1,483
Kahoʻ The Puʻ u
mi 0/sq mi ft
20°33′N1
olawe[ Target 0 Moaul 1.0
(115.5 (0/km2) (452
29] Isle anui 56°36′W
km2) m)
There are eight main Hawaiian islands, seven of which are permanently in