Hawaii (state), only island state and the southernmost state in
the United States. Hawaii consists of the Hawaiian Islands and a few other
geographically unrelated islets located near the center of the northern Pacific
Ocean. The state is composed of eight main islands and 124 islets, reefs, and
shoals. Honolulu, the capital and largest city of Hawaii, lies about 3,900 km
(about 2,400 mi) from the western coast of the United States mainland.
The Aloha State, as Hawaii was officially nicknamed upon becoming the 50th state
of the Union on August 21, 1959, occupies a land area almost wholly volcanic in
origin. Some small areas above sea level consist of limestone derived from
ancient coral reefs. These reefs were formed during periods when the sea level
was higher than it is now. The diverse scenery in Hawaii also includes mountains
rising to more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level; great stretches
of barren lava beds; golden beaches rimmed by palm trees; magnificent cliffs and
brightly colored canyons; dense rain forests and arid thorny scrublands; and a
multi-hued patchwork of field and forest.
The Hawaiian Islands were originally settled by Polynesian immigrants more than
1,000 years ago but probably remained unknown beyond Polynesia until Captain
James Cook reached the islands in 1778. He named them the Sandwich Islands in
honor of his patron, John Montagu, the fourth earl of Sandwich. In 1796 King
Kamehameha I united the islands into a single independent kingdom. In 1893 the
Hawaiian monarch was deposed, and Hawaii became successively a republic in 1894,
a U.S. possession in 1898, and a U.S. territory in 1900. During the last half of
the 19th century, Hawaii developed a plantation economy based on the cultivation
of sugar and, later, pineapples, for export.
Thousands of immigrants, mostly from Asia, came to work on the
plantations. The name of the state is taken from that of the island of Hawaii
and is a Polynesian word of uncertain meaning. In the 19th century the name was
extended to the entire archipelago.
Hawaii’s place in modern world history was set on December 7, 1941, when a
massive Japanese air attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor and other military
installations in Hawaii precipitated the United States’ entry into World War II.
Hawaii’s role as one of the forward bases of U.S. military power has continued
to the present day. Hawaii’s postwar years were also marked by the
diversification of its economy, with a great expansion of tourism, military
expenditure, and some industry, and by admission to the Union in 1959.
Hawaii is the only state where all the people belong to what are, in Hawaii,
minority groups. There is little racial discrimination, although it is not
entirely absent. For the most part, the state’s residents live in a society that
represents a uniquely harmonious fusion of races, languages, religions, and
cultures. Most of the residents of Hawaii do not usually call themselves
Hawaiians. They tend to reserve this term for those of their fellow citizens who
have Hawaiian ancestry.
