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Hawaii State Flag
Hawaii State Flag
Hawaii State Seal
Hawaii State Seal
Hawaii Location
Hawaii Location

Hawaii

Hawaii (Hawaiian/Hawaiian English: Hawai‘i, with the ‘okina) is the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii constitutes the 50th state of the United States, and as of the 2000 U.S. Census had a population of 1,211,537 people. Honolulu is the largest city and the state capital.

Hawaii, the state most recently admitted into the Union, has many distinctions. In addition to having the southernmost point in the United States, it is the only state that lies completely in the tropics. As one of two states outside the contiguous United States, it is the only one without territory on the mainland of any continent and is the only state that continues to grow due to active lava flows, most notably from Kilauea. Ethnically, it is one of only two states that do not have a Caucasian majority and has the largest percentage of Asians. Ecologically and agriculturally, it is the endangered species capital of the world and is the only industrial producer of coffee in the nation.

State nicknames The Aloha State
Capital Honolulu
Largest City Honolulu
Governor (2004) Linda Lingle
Official languages Hawaiian and English. Hawaiian Pidgin is considered an unofficial state language.
Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
- % water
Ranked 43rd
28,337 km²
16,649 km²
11,672 km²
41.2 %
Population
- Total (2000)
- Density
Ranked 42nd
1,211,537
Ranked 13th 42.75 /km²
Admittance into Union
- Order
- Date

50th
August 21, 1959
Time zone UTC-10/ (no daylight saving time)
Latitude
Longitude
18°55'N to 29°N
154°40'W to 162°W
Width
Length
Elevation
- Highest
- Mean
- Lowest
n/a
2,450 km

4,205 meters
925 meters
0 meters
ISO 3166-2 US-HI
State motto Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono, meaning "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." It was the motto of Kamehameha III and the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.
State flag Ka Hae Hawai‘i, influenced by the Union Jack and features eight horizontal stripes, each representing one of the eight major islands.
State song Hawai‘i pono‘i written by David Kalakaua and composed by Henri Berger. Hawai‘i Aloha is considered an unofficial state song and is used often in formal events
State bird Hawaiian Goose (nene)
State fish Reef Triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua‘a)
State flower endemic yellow hibiscus (Hawaiian ma‘o hau hele, scientific name Hibiscus brackenridgei).
State gem black coral (‘ekaha ku moana)
State tree candlenut (Hawaiian kuku‘i, scientific name Aleurites moluccana) introduced by early Polynesians.
State statues Kamehameha the Great and Father Damien