Contents

1. Facts     

2. History

3. Geography

4. Tourism

5. Nature

6. Maps and pictures

 

 

 

Facts

 

Number of islands: 8
Area: 16,179 km²
Capital: Honolulu
Inhabitants: about 1 300 000
Language: English
Religion: Christianity (most Catholics)
Money: US dollar
Average temperature: 24 degrees

Highest point: The silent volcano Mauna Kea (4205 metres above sea level)

 

 

 

History

 

The Polynesian came first to Hawaii about 500 years after Christ. The first European on the islands was Captain James Cook in 1778. The Polynesian taught he was a God, but when he was back, two years later, he was killed by the island people. Soon after that, the islands were gathered under a local king, Kamehameha I, and his descendants rule Hawaii to 1872. In 1893, the US consul John L. Stevens got control over the kingdom, and in 1900, Hawaii was placed under USA. Under the 2nd world war, the Japanese attacked the navy base Pearl Harbour on the 7th of December 1941. This got the Americans into the war. After the war, over 90% voted that they wanted to stay American. 21st of August 1959 Hawaii became USA’s 50th federal state.

 

 

Geography

 

Hawaii is the most remote islands in the world, over 2,000 miles from the nearest land. Hawaii consists of eight major islands plus 124 minor islands. The eight major islands (which make up over 99% of the total land area) are Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (known as Big Island), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe (uninhabited) and Nihau (privately owned). With their area, these islands form the fourth smallest state in the United States.

 

Tourism

 

Tourism is Hawaii’s biggest source of income. At one average day 140 000 tourists visit the islands. At one year about 6.5 million people visit the islands and they leave behind them 11 billions USD. The most of the tourists come to Oahu, but in the last few years more and more come to Maui, Hawaii and Kauai.

 

 

 

Nature

 

The Hawaiian Islands have a wide variety of plant and animal life. 700 of 1000 wild plant arts and more than 90 percent of the animals are found nowhere else than Hawaii. The humuhumunukunukuapuaa is the unofficial state fish. Hawaii is sometimes called the Endangered Species Capital of the World. At least one third of all the endangered species in the United States are found in Hawaii including the Nene Goose (official state bird), the Humpback Whale (official state marine mammal), the Pacific Green Sea Turtle and the Pueo (Hawaiian owl).

 

 

Maps and pictures

 

 

The six biggest islands

 

Oahu – Waikiki Beach

 

Maui – Haleakala

 

Kauai – coast

 

Hawaiian beach