Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America, having received statehood on August 21, 1959.Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.
The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 2.400 km. At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and the Island of Hawaiʻi. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the „Big Island“ or „Hawaiʻi Island“ to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The state of Hawaii derives its name from the name of its largest island, Hawaiʻi. A common Hawaiian explanation of the name of Hawaiʻi is that was named for Hawaiʻiloa, a legendary figure from Hawaiian myth. He is said to have discovered the islands when they were first settled.
Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches, oceanic surroundings, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists. Because of its central location in the Pacific and 19th-century labor migration, Hawaii’s culture is strongly influenced by North American and Asian cultures, in addition to its indigenous Hawaiian culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents, along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.
Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most densely populated of the fifty U.S. states. It is the only state with an Asian plurality. The state’s coastline is about 1,210 km long, the fourth longest in the U.S. after the coastlines of Alaska, Florida, and California.
The history of Hawaii’s economy can be traced through a succession of dominant industries; sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, the military, tourism and education. Since statehood in 1959, tourism has been the largest industry contributing 24.3% of the gross state product.
The cost of living in Hawaii, specifically Honolulu, is high compared to that of most major U.S. cities. Hawaii’s very high cost of living is the result of several interwoven factors. . Like other regions with desirable weather throughout the year, such as areas of California, Arizona and Florida, Hawaii’s residents can be considered to be subject to a „Sunshine tax“.This situation is further exacerbated by the natural factors of geography and world distribution that lead to higher prices for goods due to increased shipping costs, a problem which many island states and territories suffer from as well.
There are many attractions such as Waikiki beach ( in the suburbs of Honolulu), Volcanoes National Park Hawaii, Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial, Vaipi’o Valley (Island of Hawaii), Haleakala National Park (Maui), Maui Ocean Center, Mauna Kea Mountain ect.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii