Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Niihau, Kaula
Bordering States
None (surrounded by Pacific Ocean)
National Parks
Hawaii Volcanoes NP (Hawaii), Haleakala NP (Maui)
Key Products
Pineapples, Sugarcane, Macadamia Nuts, Tourism
Natural Resources
Fertile agricultural land formed from magma that originates from volcanoes
Attractions
Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kilauea crater, Haleakala Crater, Mt. Waialeale, Waikiki Beach, the USS Arizona and USS Missouri memorial at Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waimea Canyon
Hawaii - History
300-600
Polynesians settle the Hawaiian islands.
1778
English captain James Cook visits the islands, calling them the Sandwich Islands.
1893
Queen Lilioukalani deposed and Republic of Hawaii formed with Sanford B.Dole as president.
1900
Hawaii becomes a US Territory.
1941
Pearl Harbor attack sparks US entry into World War II.
1959
Hawaii enters the Union as the 50th state.
Present Day
Palm-fringed coastal beaches and resorts, a mild and tropical climate, national parks with boiling volcanoes, tropical rainforests with more than 2500 species of birds and animals, historical monuments such as those at Pearl Harbor, and the diverse Hawaiian culture are key attractions that bring thousands of tourists each year.
Hawaii - Facts
Lanai has the world’s largest pineapple plantation.
Mount Waileale is the wettest place on Earth.
The island of Hawaii, more commonly known as "The Big Island", is the largest in the United states.
Hawaii Volcanoes NP’s three boiling volcanoes each have different world records: Mauna Kea is the world’s tallest mountain when measured from the seafloor (over 9,000 meters), Mauna Loa is the world’s largest volcano when measured by volume and also the world’s largest shield volcano, and Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano. Haleakala Volcano and Crater in Haleakala NP is the world’s largest dormant volcano.
Hawaii was the last state to enter the union, in 1959.
Hawaii was first colonized by Polynesians who arrived there by boats and canoes from the lands to the southeast.
The Hula, a dance that was brought to the islands by early Polynesian settlers, is still popular in Hawaii.
The Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount chain are an underwater mountain range that includes the Emperor Seamounts (Kure and Midway Atolls) and the Hawaiian Ridge Islands, eight of which (Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Hawaii, Kahoolawe) project above sea level.
Loihi Seamount is the newest volcano yet, and is still under the ocean. Figures say it would reach daylight in another 10,000 years.
Hurricane Iniki was the strongest hurricane to hit the Hawaiian Islands in recorded history.
World-famous Kona coffee is grown on the southwestern slopes of the volcano Hualalai. This region is the only major coffee-producing region in the entire United States
Pu‘u ‘O‘o, a cinder cone on the slopes of Kilauea, has been erupting for the past 25 years.
The Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele, is said to live on Kilauea. Whenever she becomes angry, she causes a volcanic eruption.
The Hawaiian Goose, or Nene, is the state bird.
Hawaii is the most ethnically and racially diverse state of any state in the union, a mix that includes Caucasians, Americans of Japanese descent, and Polynesians.