About Hawaii

Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America on August 21, 1959.  It is an island state lying in the Pacific Ocean some 2,400 miles west of California (about a five-hour flight by commercial jet).  The 2007 resident population estimates by geographic areas are:

About Hawaii
City and County of Honolulu 

905,601

Hawaii County

173,057

Maui County

128,094

Kauai County 

62,463

Total State Population

1,269,215


Hawaii, the "Aloha State", is world renowned as a semitropical resort area, but it is also a wonderful state in which to live and work.

STATE FLOWER - Yellow Hibiscus


STATE BIRD - Nene (Hawaiian Goose)


STATE TREE - Kukui (Candlenut Tree)


STATE FISH - Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

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Island of Kauai
About Hawaii
Northernmost, first populated and geologically oldest, Kauai the "Island of Discovery" is the fourth largest island in Hawaii.  It was built by a massive vocano, of which Mt. Waialeale, at 5,148 feet (1,569 meters), is the eastern rim. The island has 90 miles (145 km) of coastline and is remarkable for its spectacular and widely varied landscape.  The environment ranges from desert-like Waimea Canyon, "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific," to the velvety green Na Pali coast, with cliffs rising to 2,700 feet and access limited to walking trail or boat.  Average temperatures range from 70 degrees (21 degrees celcius) neaer the coast in February and March to 77 degrees (25 degrees celcius) in August and September.  Cooler temperatures in the mountain areas offer a pleasant contrast to warmer coastal areas.  Rainfall varies from soggy Mt. Waialeale to a comfortable average of 20 inches per year for the rest of the island.

The first settlers came to Kauai around 200 A.D., about 500 years before the rest of the islands were settled.  The Islanders enjoyed a balanced environment and followed the social codes of the day: sometimes rigid and sometimes quite liberal. Through a succession of kings, the island prospered.  Captain James Cook landed on Kauai first, coming ashore at Waimea in 1778, forever changing the status of this isolated group of islands.

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Island of Oahu
About Hawaii
Oahu, "The Gathering Place," is the third largest Hawaiian Island and hosts three-quarters of the state's population.  There are 122 miles of coastline and the elevation reaches from sea level to 4,020 feet at Mt. Kaala.  Average temperatures range from 71 to 80 degrees (21-27 degrees Celsius) with variable rainfall between the leeward and windward sections of the island.  The State Capitol, Honolulu, is also Oahu's principal city.

While Oahu was populated before 1,000 A.D., it was only added to the island kingdom in 1795 when King Kamehaha I of the Big Island of Hawaii fought the Oahu king's forces and forced their surrender at the famous Battle of Nuuanu Pali. With its fine harbors, Oahu gradually became the state's political, economic, military, educational and cultural center.  Honolulu Harbor, discovered before 1800, developed as a key Pacific port for whale, sandalwood and fur traders.

Pearl Harbor became famous when the nation decided to establish strategic military bases.  By 1850 the Hawaiian royal court had moved permanently to Honolulu, which has since been the seat of government for the monarchy, republic, territory and state.

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Island of Maui
About Hawaii
Maui, "The Magic Isle," is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands.  It reaches from sea level to 10,023 feet, the summit of the dormant volcano Haleakala.  Average temperatures range from 71-77 degrees (21-25 degrees celcius), with variable rainfall in different sections of the island.

The island is named after Maui, a mischievous mythological figure of ancient Hawaii whose antics are recorded in historic charts. One legend says that Maui dragged the Hawaii Islands out of the ocean with a giant fishhook.  Maui has a colorful past of settlers.  When Kamehameha I united all the islands, he made Lahaina his capitol in 1802. The end of the whaling era came in 1860, due in part to the Civil War and the rise of the petroleum industry.  Much of Maui's land was once planted in sugar cane and labor was imported from Asia to work the fields.  The island has evolved into a peaceful agricultural area of great charm and rustic beauty.  Today, visitors have discovered Maui's many beautiful charms, creating a thriving tourist industry.

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Big Island of Hawaii
About Hawaii
Hawaii, "The Big Island," is the youngest and largest of the Hawaiian Islands, with 4,038 square miles.  This is the only island that continues to grow, and will do so as long as lava continues to spew out of Kiluaea.  It has 266 miles of coastline.  Of all the islands, Hawaii's Big Island is the most ecologically diverse, with natural environments ranging from the desert plains of Kau to the dense rain forests above Hilo to snowcapped Mauna Kea.  Average temperatures range from 71-77 degrees (21.5 to 25 degrees Celsius). Rainfall is variable in different sectors, however Hilo is the rainiest city in the state.

Believed to be the first Hawaii Island discovered by the Polynesians, perhaps as early as the fifth century, Hawaii's Big Island has been the scene of many of the state's historic events. The land was the one from which Kamehameha i launched forays in his warrior canoes to unify the islands.  For a time, it was the capitol of the kingdom.  Hawaii was also the place of King Kamehameha i's death, and with that the death of the kapu system, which was abolished by his successor (and son) King Kamehameha II in 1819.  Today much of ancient Hawaii can be seen throughout the island, where historic sites and relics have been preserved.

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