Hawaii
Aloha State · Capital: Honolulu · West (Non Contiguous)
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Bordering states: None (non-contiguous).
About Hawaii
Hawaii is a chain of volcanic islands in the Pacific and shares no border with any other state or country. Its eight main islands run from Hawaii Island in the southeast to Kauai and Niihau in the northwest, and reefs and atolls continue about 1,200 miles beyond them to Kure Atoll. The islands formed as the Pacific Plate moved over a fixed hotspot, so Kauai is about five million years old while Hawaii Island is under one million and still erupting. Mauna Kea, at 13,803 feet, is the highest point. Trade winds soak windward Hilo with more than 120 inches of rain a year, while the leeward Kohala coast gets under ten.
Polynesian navigators settled the islands by double hulled canoe, mainly between about 1000 and 1200 CE. James Cook sighted Kauai in 1778, and Kamehameha, armed with muskets and cannon from trading ships, united the islands by 1810. Sugar planters later recruited workers from China, Japan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Korea and the Philippines. On 17 January 1893 a Committee of Safety backed by sailors and marines from the USS Boston deposed Queen Liliuokalani, and Congress annexed Hawaii in 1898. Martial law followed the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. A plebiscite approved statehood by roughly seventeen to one, and Hawaii became the 50th state on 21 August 1959.
The 2020 census counted 1,455,271 residents, up 7.0 percent from 2010. Within two decades of statehood, tourism had replaced agriculture as the economic base; the last sugar crop was cut on Maui in 2016. Because of plantation recruitment, no single ethnic group has held a majority since. Hawaiian became an official language alongside English in 1978. Barack Obama, born in Honolulu in 1961, is the only president born in the state, and Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic swimming champion in 1912 and 1920, carried surfing far beyond the islands.
4 fun facts about Hawaii
- Kona coffee from the Big Island is one of the few coffees grown commercially in the United States.
- Hawaii is moving toward Japan at about 3 inches per year (Pacific tectonic plate drift).
- It's the only US state made entirely of islands, and the only one where the capital is located on an island.
- Hawaii is the only state whose constitution names two official languages, English and Hawaiian.
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Frequently asked questions about Hawaii
Is Hawaii a US state?
Yes, Hawaii is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu and its largest city is Honolulu.
What is the capital of Hawaii?
The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu.
When did Hawaii become a state?
Hawaii became a US state in 1959. It is the 50th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Hawaii?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Hawaii is HI.
How big is Hawaii?
Hawaii ranks #43 of 50 US states by area. With 226.6 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 13th most densely populated state.
What is the population of Hawaii?
Hawaii had 1,455,271 residents at the 2020 census, the 40th largest population of the 50 states, up 7.0% since 2010. That count gives it 2 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Hawaii in?
Hawaii is in the West region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Hawaii in?
Hawaii observes Hawaii-Aleutian Time, with no daylight saving time.
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How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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