Hawaii is the
50th state of the United States, comprising a group of eight major islands
and numerous islets in the central Pacific Ocean.
Area, 6,450 sq mi (16,706 sq km).
Pop. (2000) 1,211,537, a 9.3% increase since the 1990 census.
Capital and largest city, Honolulu.
Nickname, Aloha State.
Motto, Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono [The Life of the Land Is Perpetuated
in Righteousness].
State bird, Hawaiian goose.
State flower, hibiscus.
State tree, candlenut.
Geologically the youngest of the Hawaiian group, Hawaii is made up of
three volcanic mountain masses rising from the floor of the Pacific OceanMauna
Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai. Lava flows, some of which reach the sea, and
volcanic ash cover parts of the island. The north and northeast coasts are
rugged with high cliffs; the west and south coasts are generally low, with
some good bathing beaches. An unusual black-sand beach lies on the southeast
coast.
The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin and are edged with coral
reefs. Hawaii is the largest and geologically the youngest island of the
group, and Oahu , where the capital, Honolulu , is located, is the most
populous and economically important. The other principal islands are Kahoolawe
, Kauai , Lanai , Maui , Molokai , and Niihau . The Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands, consisting of uninhabited islets and excluding Midway , stretch
more than 1,100 mi (1,800 km) from Nihoa to Kure. Most of islets are encompassed
in the Hawaiian Island National Wildlife Refuge; the surrounding waters
and coral reefs are in the vast 84-million-acre (34-million-hectare) Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve. Palmyra atoll and Kingman Reef , which
were within the boundaries of Hawaii when it was a U.S. territory, were
excluded when statehood was achieved.
Sugarcane and pineapples, grown chiefly on large company-owned plantations,
are the major agricultural products and the basis of the islands' principal
industry, food processing. Macadamia nuts, papayas, greenhouse vegetables,
and coffee are also important. Other products include coffee, cattle, and
dairy products. Commercial fishing, especially tuna, is also significant.
Tourism is, however, the leading source of income, and defense installations,
including Pearl Harbor, follow. |
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