Featured Hawaii Cities and Counties

Big Island Captain Cook Diamond Head Ewa Beach Haiku Hamakua Coast Hanalei Hawaii Kai Hilo Honolulu Kaanapali Kahala Kahului Kailua Kailua Kona Kalaheo Kamuela Kaneohe Kapaa Kapalua Kapolei Kauai Kihei Kilauea Ko Olina Kohala Coast Koloa Kona Lahaina Lanikai Lihue Makena Maui Mililani Oahu Poipu Princeville Waikiki Waikoloa Wailea Waimea West Maui

Hawaii Quick Facts

An archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, the state of Hawaii was the 50th state to be admitted into the union, in 1959. Before it became a state, The Kingdom of Hawaii existed from 1810 until 1893. It is located nearly 2,000 miles southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan and northeast of Australia and has a heavy Polynesian influence and culture. The state is composed of the volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which consists of hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles. There are eight "main islands" with large populations, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii (the big island). The state's capital is Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. Hawaii is home to a population of about 1.3 million. It houses such national parks as Haleakala National Park on Maui and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in the southeast region of the big island. The state is home to some of the best weather in the world, with temperatures around the 80s year-round. Oahu is the most populous island, and the larger cities in Hawaii after Honolulu include Hilo, Kailua, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona and Kihei.

There is a large military presence here, with military personnel making up more than 1% of state's population, and it is famous for its USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, the site of the attacks that propelled the U.S. into World War II. Hawaii is a largely diverse place, with a large population of Asian descent. Both English and Hawaiian are recognized as official state languages, and Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. with a unified statewide school system. Agriculture, military, tourism and education are the largest industries in the state. Agricultural products exported in large quantities include coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock and sugarcane. The University of Hawaii System consists of the flagship research university at Manoa, two campuses, Hilo and West Oahu and seven community colleges. There are also four private colleges in the state. Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, stands at 13,796 feet.