Hawaii - The Aloha State

About Hawaii

Hawaii, officially the State of Hawaii, is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands. With over 1.4 million residents, it is the most isolated population center on Earth, located about 2,000 miles from the nearest continent. The Hawaiian Islands comprise eight major islands, numerous atolls, and islets stretching 1,500 miles across the central Pacific Ocean. Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, serves as the state capital, largest city, and economic center.

Hawaii is the most recent state to join the Union, achieving statehood on August 21, 1959. The islands were formed by volcanic activity over a geological hotspot in the Pacific Plate, creating a chain of volcanic mountains rising from the ocean floor. This volcanic origin gives Hawaii some of Earth's most dramatic landscapes, including the world's most active volcano (Kilauea), the world's largest volcano by volume (Mauna Loa), and the world's tallest mountain measured from base to summit (Mauna Kea, over 33,000 feet from ocean floor).

The Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii (Big Island) is the largest and youngest island, twice the size of all other Hawaiian islands combined. It features Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to Kilauea and Mauna Loa, both active volcanoes. The island has black sand beaches formed from lava, snow-capped Mauna Kea with world-class astronomical observatories, lush rainforests on the windward side, and dry landscapes on the leeward Kona coast. The Big Island continues growing as lava flows add new land.

Oahu, "The Gathering Place," is home to 70% of Hawaii's population, including Honolulu and world-famous Waikiki Beach. This island serves as Hawaii's commercial, cultural, and political center. Pearl Harbor, site of the 1941 attack that brought America into World War II, is preserved as a National Historic Landmark. Oahu combines urban energy with natural beauty, featuring iconic Diamond Head crater, the North Shore's legendary surf breaks, and stunning windward beaches.

Maui, "The Valley Isle," is the second-most visited island, known for Haleakala National Park where visitors watch sunrise from a 10,023-foot volcanic crater, the scenic Road to Hana with waterfalls and bamboo forests, historic Lahaina town, and world-class beaches and resorts. Kauai, "The Garden Isle," is Hawaii's oldest main island, featuring Na Pali Coast's dramatic 4,000-foot sea cliffs, Waimea Canyon ("Grand Canyon of the Pacific"), and lush landscapes that have served as backdrops for dozens of Hollywood films including Jurassic Park.

Native Hawaiian Culture

Native Hawaiians are the indigenous Polynesian people who arrived in Hawaii around 1,000-1,200 years ago in remarkable ocean voyages from the Marquesas and Society Islands. Using sophisticated navigation techniques based on stars, currents, and bird flight patterns, Polynesian voyagers sailed double-hulled canoes thousands of miles across open ocean. They brought plants and animals that became staples of Hawaiian life: taro, coconuts, breadfruit, bananas, chickens, and pigs.

Traditional Hawaiian society developed a complex culture with a structured social system, oral traditions preserving history and genealogy, hula dance telling stories through movement, and a deep spiritual connection to the land (aina) and ocean. Hawaiians practiced sustainable resource management through the ahupuaa system, dividing land from mountain to sea, ensuring communities had access to all necessary resources. The Hawaiian language, part of the Polynesian language family, was the primary language until English dominance in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, Native Hawaiian culture experiences a renaissance. The Hawaiian language is taught in schools and immersion programs, traditional navigation has been revived through organizations like the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the voyaging canoe Hokulea, hula is practiced and performed widely, and there is growing recognition of Native Hawaiian rights and sovereignty issues. Hawaiian cultural practices like lei-making, slack-key guitar music, traditional tattooing (kakau), and the aloha spirit of warmth and hospitality remain central to Hawaii's identity.

Pearl Harbor & World War II

Pearl Harbor, a natural deepwater harbor on Oahu, became forever etched in American memory on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The attack killed 2,403 Americans, wounded 1,178, sank four battleships, and damaged four others along with numerous other vessels and aircraft. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it "a date which will live in infamy," and Congress declared war on Japan the next day, bringing America into World War II.

The USS Arizona, sunk during the attack with 1,177 crew members trapped inside, remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor as a war grave and memorial. The USS Arizona Memorial, built above the sunken battleship, welcomes over 1.8 million visitors annually, making it one of Hawaii's most visited sites. Oil still slowly leaks from the Arizona's fuel tanks, sometimes called "the tears of the Arizona." Other Pearl Harbor sites include the USS Missouri where Japan signed surrender documents ending WWII, the USS Bowfin submarine, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

Hawaii played a crucial role throughout the Pacific War as a staging ground for military operations. The islands' strategic location made them America's forward position for campaigns across the Pacific. Military presence remains significant in Hawaii, with major installations including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Schofield Barracks. The military is a major economic driver, though tourism has become the dominant industry.

Surfing & Ocean Culture

Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing, where Polynesian people have ridden waves for centuries. Ancient Hawaiians called surfing "he'e nalu" (wave sliding), and it was deeply woven into their culture, with chiefs demonstrating prowess on special surfboards made from koa or wiliwili wood. Surfing declined after Western contact but experienced revival in the early 20th century, particularly through Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic gold medal swimmer and surfing ambassador who introduced the sport worldwide.

Oahu's North Shore is surfing's most legendary coastline, where winter swells generate waves up to 30-50 feet high at breaks like Pipeline, Waimea Bay, and Sunset Beach. The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, held each winter, attracts the world's best surfers competing for the sport's most prestigious title. Jaws (Peahi) on Maui produces some of the largest rideable waves on Earth, where big wave surfers are towed by jet skis into 60-70 foot monsters. Hawaii has produced surfing legends including Duke Kahanamoku, Eddie Aikau, and modern champions.

Ocean culture extends beyond surfing to outrigger canoe paddling (Hawaii's state sport), stand-up paddleboarding, spearfishing, and deep connection to the sea. Traditional Hawaiian navigation has been revived, exemplified by Hokulea, a double-hulled voyaging canoe that has sailed over 150,000 nautical miles using traditional wayfinding techniques, proving Polynesian ancestors' remarkable navigational abilities and spreading messages of cultural pride and environmental stewardship.

Economy & Tourism

Tourism dominates Hawaii's economy, with over 9 million visitors annually before the COVID-19 pandemic generating about $17 billion in spending. The islands' natural beauty, tropical climate, unique culture, and aloha hospitality make Hawaii one of the world's premier vacation destinations. Major resorts concentrate in Waikiki (Oahu), Wailea and Kaanapali (Maui), and the Kohala Coast (Big Island). Attractions range from beaches and volcanoes to cultural sites, world-class golf, and outdoor activities.

Military spending is Hawaii's second-largest economic sector, with approximately 50,000 active-duty personnel and extensive facilities supporting Indo-Pacific operations. The U.S. Pacific Command, overseeing military activities across half the globe, is headquartered in Hawaii. Federal spending on military personnel, contracts, and construction contributes billions annually to the local economy.

Hawaii faces significant economic challenges including the highest cost of living of any U.S. state, driven by isolation requiring imported goods, limited land driving housing costs, and tourism-based wages often insufficient for the high costs. Agriculture remains important but diminished from historical dominance—sugar plantations once defined Hawaii's economy but the last closed in 2016. Today, Hawaii grows coffee (Kona coffee is world-renowned), macadamia nuts, tropical fruits, and diversified agriculture. Technology, film production (Hawaii offers tax incentives and stunning locations), and renewable energy are growing sectors as Hawaii aims for 100% renewable energy by 2045.

Major Cities

Counties

Hawaii has 5 counties (4 counties plus Kalawao County). Major counties include:

Interesting Facts

Neighboring Geography

Hawaii is the only U.S. state with no neighboring states. The nearest land masses are: