The State of Hawaii

An Overview

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Think "tropical paradise," and most people will think of Hawaii, the 50th state of the United States. Hawaii's 132 islands are located about 2,500 miles west of Los Angeles. The islands are the peaks of volcanic mountains jutting out of the Pacific Ocean, with some of the volcanoes -- including Mauna Loa, one of the most famous -- still active. Hawaii not only has the contrast between the stark violence of the volcanoes and the serene beauty of the Pacific shores, but also sharp contrasts in climate. During the winter months, visitors and residents can take in the sun on the warm beaches, while only 20 miles away, others can ski on real snow at the top of Mauna Kea on the "Big Island" of Hawaii. With its population of over 900,000, Hawaii is the most populated and the most economically developed of America's tropical islands.

The first Polynesians arrived in the Hawaiian islands more than a thousand years ago in huge, twin-hulled canoes. In 1778, Captain James Cook, the English explorer, discovered the islands, and that started a steady stream of newcomers. Ranchers, planters, and businessmen developed large estates that still occupy almost 1/2 of Hawaii's privately-owned land. In Cook's time, the islands had as many as many as 1 million native Polynesians inhabitants, but today, less than half that number are of Polynesian descent. The capital of Hawaii, Honolulu, is located on the island of Oahu, which in the old Hawaiian language means "gathering place." Here, the chiefs of the islands held their council meetings. Today, Oahu is a "gathering place" of a different sort, as it is a melting pot of many races and beliefs. Among the modern day reminders of the ancient Hawaiian culture are surfing and the hula.

Hawaii's economy is heavily geared towards tourism, but it also has a major stake in manufacturing, agriculture, and even mining. Food processing (mainly sugarcane and pineapples), printing and publishing, clothing and textiles are among Hawaii's major manufacturing industries. Of course, agriculture is based primarily on sugarcane and pineapples, but beef cattle, dairy products, macadamia nuts, orchids, and tropical fruits like papayas and bananas are among Hawaii's other major agricultural products. Aquaculture, the harvesting of fish, oysters, and claims is another important industry.

In addition to the world-famous beaches, from hotel-rich Waikiki to deserted black sand beaches on some of the "out islands," Hawaii has a host of attractions for the visitor. These range from traditional tropical luaus to tours of the pineapple plantations, the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes, the rich inland rain forests, and even historic Pearl Harbor. Of course, water sports of all kinds also abound.