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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 |