Hawaii

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Coordinates: 21°18′41″N, 157°47′47″W

State of Hawaii Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi
Flag of Hawaii Seal of Hawaii Nickname(s): The Aloha State Motto(s): Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono (English translation: The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness) Before Statehood Known as The Territory of Hawaii
Official language(s)	English, Hawaiian
Demonym	Hawaiian
Capital	Honolulu
Largest city	Honolulu
Area	Ranked 43rd in the US
- Total	10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)
- Width	n/a miles (n/a km)
- Length	1,522 miles (2,450 km)
- % water	41.2
- Latitude	18° 55′ N to 28° 27′ N
- Longitude	154° 48′ W to 178° 22′ W
Population	Ranked 42nd in the US
- Total	1,211,537
- Density	188.6/sq mi  72.83/km² (13th in the US)
- Median income	$53,123 (8th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mauna Kea[1] 13,796 ft  (4,205 m)
- Mean	3,035 ft  (925 m)
- Lowest point	Pacific Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	August 21, 1959 (50th)
Governor	Linda Lingle (R)
Lieutenant Governor	James Aiona (R)
U.S. Senators	Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Hawaii: UTC-10 (no daylight saving time)
Abbreviations	US-HI
Website	www.hawaii.gov

[show]Hawaii State Symbols
Living Symbols
-Bird	Hawaiian Goose
-Fish	Humu­humu­nuku­nuku­āpuaʻa
-Flower	Hawaiian hibiscus
-Mammal	Humpback whale
-Reptile	Gold dust day gecko
-Tree	Kukui nut tree
Food	Coconut muffin
Gemstone	Black coral
Slogan(s)	The Islands of Aloha
Soil	Hilo
Song(s)	Hawai'i pono'i
Sport	Surfing, Outrigger canoeing
Tartan	Hawaii State Tartan
Route Marker(s)
Quarter	2008
See Also

The State of Hawaii (pronounced /həˈwaɪiː/ or /həˈwaɪʔiː/; Hawaiian: Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi) is a state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The most recent census puts the state's population at 1,211,537.

This state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which is made up of hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest, and is often called the "Big Island" or "Big Isle" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. This archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.

In standard American English, Hawaii is generally pronounced /həˈwaɪiː/. In the Hawaiian language, it is generally pronounced [həˈwəiʔi] or [həˈvəiʔi]. Most residents of Hawaii use the Hawaiian pronunciation (with the glottal stop) in their English.

Geography

Main article: Hawaiian Islands

Location, topography, and geology

Location of Hawaii

An archipelago situated some 3,200 km (1,988 mi) southwest of the North American mainland,^[2] Hawaii is the southernmost state of the United States and the second westernmost state after Alaska. Only Hawaii and Alaska are outside the contiguous United States and do not share a border with any other U.S. state.

Hawaii is the only state of the United States that

• is not geographically located in North America
• is completely surrounded by water
• has a royal palace
• does not have a straight line in its state boundary
• continuously grows in area (due to currently active lava flows, most notably from Kilauea (Kīlauea).)

Map of Hawaii

Na Pali coast, Kauai

Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea stands at 13,796 ft (4,205 m)^[3] and is taller than Mount Everest if followed to the base of the mountain—on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.^[4]

All of the Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanos erupting from the sea floor from a magma source described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. This explains why only volcanoes on the southern half of the Big Island, and the Loihi Seamount (Lōʻihi) deep below the waters off its southern coast, are presently active, with Loihi being the newest volcano to form.

The last volcanic eruption outside the Big Island occurred at Haleakala on Maui in the late 18th century, though recent research suggests that Haleakala's most recent eruptive activity could be hundreds of years earlier.^[5]

The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. The Big Island is notable as the world’s fifth highest island.

Because of the islands' volcanic formation, native life before human activity is said to have arrived by the "3 W's": wind (carried through the air), waves (brought by ocean currents), and wings (birds, insects, and whatever they brought with them). The isolation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the wide range of environments to be found on high islands located in and near the tropic, has resulted in a vast array of endemic flora and fauna. Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile and has lost a higher percentage of its endemic species than anywhere else on Earth.^{[citation needed]}

A NASA satellite composition of the Hawaiian Islands.

Areas under the control and protection of the National Park Service include:^[6]

• Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail on the Big Island
• Haleakala National Park in Kula
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island
• Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Kalaupapa
• Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park in Kailua-Kona
• Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau) in Honaunau
• Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site (Puʻukoholā) in Kawaihae
• USS Arizona Memorial at Honolulu

Major islands

Niihau	Kauai	O'ahu	Maui
Moloka'i	Lanai	Kaho'olawe	Hawai'i

Climate