Hawaii (HI).

• Region: South Pacific Ocean
• Population: 1,440,196 (ranked 40th) (2022 estimate)
• Capital: Honolulu (pop. 343,421) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Honolulu (pop. 343,421) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 5
• State nickname: Aloha State
• State motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono (Hawaiian for "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness")
• State flag: Eight stripes of red, white, and blue, with the Union Jack in the upper left corner

Hawaii (also known as Hawai'i) became the fiftieth state to join the Union on August 21, 1959. The Aloha State is a chain of over 130 islands extending over 1,500 miles in the north central Pacific Ocean. About 2,400 miles southwest of California, Hawaii is the only state not contiguous with the North American continent. The name Hawai'i refers not only to the entire state, but also to one of the main islands. Polynesian voyagers were the first to discover the islands, around the third century CE, with migration continuing until around 750 CE.

Though it is the youngest state, Hawaii has long been involved in US history. The islands were an independent kingdom from 1810 until 1893, when US businessmen staged a coup against Queen Liliuokalani and set up a republic. Formal annexation to the United States came in 1898. The US Navy has maintained facilities in Hawaii since the nineteenth century. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, brought the United States into World War II. Agriculture is highly important to Hawaii's economy, with major crops including coffee, macadamia nuts, bananas, and papayas. Tourism is one of the state's most important industries. Millions of travelers visit each year, especially from the mainland US and from Asia, to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

State Name: The origin of the name Hawaii (also spelled Hawai'i) is not certain. One tradition says that the islands were named for Hawaii Loa, the Polynesian who discovered them. According to another view, the name means "homeland" in the Hawaiian language. When James Cook, a captain of the British Royal Navy, visited the islands in 1778, he called them the Sandwich Islands, in honor of admiralty official the Earl of Sandwich. Hawaii's nicknames include the Aloha State and the Paradise of the Pacific.

Capital:Honolulu, the state capital, is located on the island of Oahu. Before the islands were annexed by the United States, Honolulu served as capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Flag: Hawaii's flag dates to the reign of King Kamehameha I (ruled 1810–19). Some historians allege that the king himself ordered creation of a flag that reflected the island's connections with both the United States and Great Britain. In the upper left corner is the British Union Jack. The rest of the flag is covered by white, red, and blue stripes that symbolize Hawaii's eight main islands. The flag was officially adopted by the state in 1959.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Yellow hibiscus
• Bird: Nene (Hawaiian goose)
• Tree: Kukui (candlenut tree)
• Song: "Hawaii Ponoi" ("Our Own Hawaii") by King David Kalakaua and Henry Berger

State and National Historic Sites

• Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (Hawaii Island)
• Hawaii State Capitol (Honolulu)
• Kalaupapa National Historical Park (Kalaupapa)
• Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park (Kailua-Kona)
• King Kamehameha Statue (Honolulu)
• Ki'i Pōhaku Petroglyphs (Island of Hawaii)
• Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (Honaunau)
• Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (Kawaihae)
• Royal Mausoleum State Monument (Honolulu)
• Schofield Barracks (Honolulu)
• World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Honolulu)

State-Specific Holidays

• Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, March 26
• Good Friday, the Friday before Easter in March or April
• King Kamehameha I Day, June 11
• Statehood Day, the third Friday in August
• General Election Day, the first Tuesday in November after the first Monday in even-numbered years

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 1,440,196 (ranked 40th) (2022 estimate)
• Population density: 226.6/sq mi (2020 estimate)
• Urban population: 86.1% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 13.9% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 20.6% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 20.4% (2022 estimate
• White alone: 25.2% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 2.2% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 11.1% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.4% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 37.1% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 10.3% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 24.7% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $39,045 (ranked 15th, 2021)
• Unemployment: 3.5% (2022 estimate)

Native Hawaiians: Hawaii's Indigenous population is of Polynesian origin. (State residents who were born on the islands but are not Native Hawaiians are known as kama'aina.) The islands were discovered by Polynesians around the third century CE, and settlement continued until circa 750 CE. The Native Hawaiians lived in seclusion for the next thousand years; Europeans did not reach Hawaii until the late eighteenth century. (Captain Cook of the British Royal Navy was the first, in 1778.) Diseases introduced by Europeans greatly reduced the size of the Native Hawaiian population.

Under the Hawaiian monarchy, relations were initially good between the islands and the European powers and the United States. In the late nineteenth century, however, as the Anglo population grew, Native Hawaiians found themselves increasingly marginalized. (The Constitution of 1887, for example, allowed foreigners the right to vote.) This trend continued under the revolutionary Republic of Hawaii, which overthrew the monarchy in 1893, and during the US territorial period (1898–1959). This period also saw the declining use of the Hawaiian language. Matters have improved since statehood, however, and Native Hawaiians again play a prominent role in the state's public life.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 10,932 sq mi (ranked 43rd)
• Land area: 6,423 sq mi (58.8% of total area)
• Water area: 4,509 sq mi (41.2% of total area)
• Shoreline: 1,052 miles
• National parks: 8
• Highest point: Pu'u Wekiu, Mauna Kea (13,796 feet)
• Lowest point: Pacific Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 100° F (Pahala, April 27, 1931)
• Lowest temperature: 12° F (Mauna Kea Observatory, May 17, 1979)

Topography: Hawaii is a chain of volcanic islands, with eight main islands and many smaller ones. The name Hawai'i also refers to the "Big Island," the largest of the chain; there are several volcanoes there, including the dormant Mauna Kea and the active Mauna Loa. The other major islands are Maui, Lāna'i (Lanai), Moloka'i (Molokai), O'ahu (Oahu), Kaho'olawe (Kahoolawe), Kaua'i (Kauai), and Ni'ihau (Niihau). The coral reefs that form at the islands' edges are alive with numerous forms of sea life. Throughout the islands one finds rich vegetation covering the often steep hills.

Major Lakes

• Green Lake (Hawaii Island)
• Kualapuu Reservoir (Molokai)
• Halali'i Lake (Niihau)
• Halulu Lake (Niihau)
• Hoomaluhia Reservoir (Oahu)
• Kaelepulu Pond (Oahu)
• Kualapuu Reservoir (Molokai)
• Lake Waiau (Hawaii Island)
• Wahiawa Reservoir (Oahu)
• Waita Reservoir (Kauai)

Major Rivers

• Ahupu Gulch (Kahoolawe)
• Hanalei River (Kauai)
• Iao Stream (Maui)
• Kalialinui-Waiale Gulch (Maui)
• Kaukonahua Stream (Oahu)
• Wailau Stream (Molokai)
• Wailuku River (Hawaii Island)
• Waimea River (Kauai)

State and National Parks: There are eight national parks and about fifty state parks throughout Hawaii. The state parks include recreational areas as well as historic sites. Lapakahi State Historical Park, on the island of Hawaii, features reenactments of historic Native Hawaiian life. Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, also on the Big Island, includes the historic Mo'okini Heiau temple and the birthplace of King Kamehameha I. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, located near Hilo, preserves a region of active volcanoes as well as fragile ecosystems. This includes Mauna Loa, the world's largest volcano.

Several other national parks are historic sites connected to the nineteenth-century Kingdom of Hawaii. These include Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, in Honaunau, an ancient site of refuge for those who had broken a social taboo or religious law. Another national historic site is Pearl Harbor National Memorial, featuring the sunken wreckage of the battleship USS Arizona. The somber memorial commemorates the sailors and others who died in the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941.

Natural Resources: Hawaii is rich in maritime resources such as fish. On the islands themselves, volcanic ash has enriched the soil to support lush crops of sugarcane and pineapples. Hawaii's enjoyable climate and scenic beauty are another natural resource, supporting the state's large tourist industry.

Plants and Animals: Most of the Hawaiian Islands are covered with rich plant life, though a few of the smaller islands are relatively barren. Most of the islands' native species are endemic, and many are threatened or endangered. This includes plants as well as birds, insects and other invertebrates, and fish. There are no native mammals except the Hawaiian hoary bat and the Hawaiian monk seal; all others were introduced by the original Polynesian settlers or by Europeans and Americans. Many introduced species, such as rats and mongooses, have had a devastating impact on native species. Feral boars, goats, and sheep run wild on various islands. Other animals include black-tailed deer and Mouflon sheep. There are also numerous species of introduced game birds, including doves and pheasants.

Climate: Hawaii has gained a reputation as an island paradise because of its tropical climate. However, despite being in the tropics, Hawaii has generally mild temperatures as a result of trade winds. One also finds cooler temperatures at higher elevations on the mountains.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Brigham Young University–Hawaii (Laie)
• Chaminade University of Honolulu (Honolulu)
• Hawaii Pacific University (Honolulu)
• University of Hawai'i (ten campuses)

Major Museums

• Bailey House Museum (Wailuku)
• Bishop Museum (Honolulu)
• Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (Honolulu)
• Honolulu Museum of Art (Honolulu)
• Kauai Museum (Lihue)
• Lyman Museum and Mission House (Hilo)
• Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (Honolulu)

Major Libraries

• Edwin H. Mookini Library, University of Hawai'i (Hilo)
• Gregg M. Sinclair Library, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (Honolulu)
• Hamilton Library, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (Honolulu)
• Hawaii Medical Library, The Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu)
• Hawaii State Library System (Honolulu)
• Hawaiian Historical Society Library (Honolulu)

Media

Prominent newspapers in Hawaii include the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Maui News, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, the Garden Island, and West Hawaii Today. National television networks maintain affiliates in Hawaii, mainly centered on urban areas such as Honolulu and Hilo. There also dozens of licensed AM and FM radio stations in the state. Hawaii enjoys exceptional telecommunications infrastructure, largely because the state lies along the route of trans-Pacific fiber-optic cables between the United States and Asia.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 98,218.8 (ranked 40th) (2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 1.2%

Major Industries: Hawaii's largest industry in 2022 was the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing industry, which accounted for 21.5 percent of the state's GDP. Other major industries include tourism and the military. There are typically tens of thousands of active-duty military personnel based in the islands in support of the US Pacific Command. US government and government enterprises accounted for 20.4 percent of the state's GDP in 2022.

Agriculture and fishing (including aquaculture) are also important economic sectors. Related to agriculture is the food processing industry. The state is a business center for the Asia/Pacific region, as many Asian companies locate there in order to take advantage of the US market. Hawaii has a growing importance as a telecommunications hub, lying astride several trans-Pacific fiber-optic cables. The state's location near the equator has also made it an ideal launch site for commercial satellites.

Tourism: The tourist trade is immensely important to Hawaii. For example, in 2019 the state received over 10.4 million visitors by air or cruise ship, and visitor spending accounted for over $17.75 billion. Tourism contracted by 74 percent in 2020, however, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; Hawaii imposed some of the strictest pandemic protocols in the country in an effort to halt the spread of the viral disease. The tourism industry began to recover in the following years, with visitor arrivals to the state reaching 6.7 million in 2021 and 9.2 million in 2022. Hawaii is a popular destination because of the combination of mild climate and scenic beauty, along with the unique Native Hawaiian culture. Popular destinations are scenic areas such as Hawaii's active volcanoes, as well as sites associated with the nineteenth-century monarchy, such as the Iolani Palace in Honolulu. The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941, is also a popular tourist destination. Hawaii's pristine beaches and mountains are also major attractions.

Energy Production: Due to Hawaii's consistently mild climate, it ranks among the lowest states in total energy use and lowest in per-capita energy consumption. However, by the early 2020s it consumed about seven times more energy than it produced. The transportation sector accounts for nearly half of the state’s energy demand, particularly aviation fuel. By 2023 electricity generation was mainly from petroleum-fired power plants, and petroleum accounted for approximately four-fifths of the state's total energy consumption. Hawaii imports nearly all of the energy it consumes, and the state typically has some of the highest electricity prices in the country. The limited energy production that does originate in Hawaii is mainly from renewable sources such as wind and solar. In 2015 Hawaii became the first state to commit to generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources; state law required Hawaii to reach this goal by 2045. Hawaii is also one of several states with installed geothermal capacity.

Agriculture: Hawaii is a heavily agricultural state, with large plantations of sugar, pineapple, coffee, macadamia nuts, and other crops. Coffee, macadamias, papayas, and avocados are among the most important crops in terms of value of production. Hawaii consistently ranks at or near the top nationwide in terms of macadamia, coffee, and sugarcane production. There is also an important livestock and dairy sector in the state. Aquaculture has become increasingly important, growing crops of algae and harvests of shellfish.

Airports: Air travel is a critical way of connecting the Hawaiian Islands both with the rest of the world and with each other. There are three international airports in the state: Hilo International Airport, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole. Other major airports in Hawaii include Kahului Airport, Lihue Airport, Molokai Airport, and Lanai Airport. Military airports in the state include the Hickam Air Force Base, the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Wheeler Army Airfield, and Bradshaw Army Airfield.

Seaports: Water transportation is crucial to Hawaii, an island chain. The vast majority of the state's imports of building materials, energy, and imported food arrives by sea. Port Hawaii consists of ten commercial harbors on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Hawaii, and Kauai. Honolulu Harbor on Oahu is among the largest container handling ports in the country and handles over 11 million short tons of cargo annually. Honolulu Harbor is the primary shipping link between the Hawaiian Islands and the United States and Asia.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Josh Green (Democrat)
• Present constitution date: November 7, 1950
• Electoral votes: 4
• Number of counties: 5
• Violent crime rate: 254.2 (per 100,000 residents, 2020 estimate)
• Death penalty: No (abolished in 1957)

Constitution: The Hawaiian constitution was adopted in 1950, when Hawaii was still a territory. It became effective in 1959, when the state entered the Union.

Branches of Government

Executive: The governor is Hawaii's chief executive, with duties including the proposal, vetoing, and passage of legislation; oversight of state executive agencies; and serving as commander of the state's National Guard. The lieutenant governor belongs to the same political party and is elected on the same ticket as the governor. Both officials serve a four-year term. Duties include serving as president of the state senate and as secretary of state. The lieutenant governor serves as acting governor in case of the incumbent's absence, removal, death, or disability.

Legislative: Hawaii's legislature has two houses: a twenty-five-member Senate and fifty-one-member House of Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, while Representatives serve two-year terms. The legislature meets annually.

Judicial: Hawaii's highest court is the Supreme Court of Hawai'i, which is the court of last resort. The Intermediate Court of Appeals is the state's second highest court and reviews appeals from state trial court or agency decisions. The Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. Special courts include Tax Appeal Court, Land Court (to handle cases of land title and easements), Family Courts, and District Courts. The latter handle cases involving traffic tickets, disputes between landlords and tenants, as well as small claims and lesser criminal offenses.

HISTORY

ca. third century Hawaii is discovered by Polynesian voyagers, who begin several centuries of migration to the islands.

ca. 750 The Hawaiian Islands receive what is believed to be the last wave of Polynesian settlement.

1778 Captain James Cook of Great Britain, while exploring the Pacific, becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. He calls them the Sandwich Islands in honor of Royal Navy official the Earl of Sandwich. Cook's visit opens Hawaii to ongoing contact with Europeans. Cook himself dies a year later, in a dispute with Native Hawaiians on the Big Island of Hawaii.

1782 Kamehameha, who later establishes the unified kingdom of Hawaii as Kamehameha I, comes to power on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Hawaiian wars continue among the islands.

1792 Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy visits the island of Waimea.

1793 Honolulu Bay on Oahu is discovered by European and American sea captains, and it soon becomes home to an important port.

1795 King Kamehameha I ("the Great") conquers the islands of Kalanikupule and Oahu.

1796 Kamehameha I unifies most of Hawaii's warring kingdoms.

1804–12 Honolulu serves as capital of Hawaii.

1810 King Kamehameha I unites all of Hawaii under a single monarchy. He rules until 1819, consolidating his gains and making many reforms.

1816–17 The Russian American Company, which governs Alaska, seeks to establish a presence in Hawaii. The Russians are driven out, however, by King Kamehameha I.

1819–24 Reign of King Kamehameha II, son of Kamehameha I.

1819 By royal decree, Native Hawaiians end their system of taboos (or kapus).

1820 The first Protestant missionaries (Congregationalists from Boston, Massachusetts) arrive in Hawaii. They are led by the Reverend Hiram Bingham, who builds the island's first Christian church.

1825–54 Reign of King Kamehameha III, who supports Christian missionary activity and institutes many Western customs. In 1839, he establishes freedom of religion. In 1840, the Hawaiian Islands become a constitutional monarchy. Feudal land tenure is abolished in 1848, thus allowing private ownership of land.

American influence grows during this period. From 1842 to 1854, US-born G. P. Judd serves as the king's prime minister.

1826 The United States and Hawaii sign a treaty of friendship. The agreement also covers matters of trade and navigation. US naval officer Captain Thomas ap Catesby Jones, commanding the USS Peacock, signs for his country.

1835 The first major sugar plantation is established, at Koloa, by the US-based Ladd and Company.

1843 France and Britain sign an agreement promising not to take possession of the Hawaiian Islands, either directly or as a protectorate. American author and sailor Herman Melville visits the island of Lahaina.

1854–63 Reign of King Kamehameha IV.

1860 The US Navy establishes a coaling station at Honolulu. The facility is in use for only a short time, however, because the Navy's policy is still to rely on sail power.

1863–72 Reign of Kamehameha V.

1873–74 Reign of William Charles Lunalilo, the first king of Hawaii to be elected.

1873 Belgian Catholic priest Father Damien (Joseph De Veuster) goes as a missionary to the leper colonies on the island of Molokai, serving there until his death from leprosy (Hansen's disease) in 1889.

1874–91 Reign of King David Kalakaua.

1874 The Aliiolani Hale, a palace intended for King Kamehameha V, becomes the home of Hawaii's legislature.

1875 The Kingdom of Hawaii signs a reciprocity treaty with the United States. The terms include favored trading status for Hawaiian sugar.

1882 King David Kalakaua dedicates the Iolani Palace in Honolulu as the official royal residence.

1883 The Hawaiian Legislature unveils a statue of King Kamehameha I in front of its buildings, during coronation ceremonies for King David Kalakaua.

1884 The Bishop Estate trust is created through the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who died the previous year. The trust establishes a fund to construct the Kamehameha Schools, a coeducational institution.

1887 The Revolution of 1887 forces King David Kalakaua to sign the "Bayonet Constitution" limiting the power of the monarchy. The document also allows foreigners to vote, as long as they have taken an oath of allegiance to the constitution.

Hawaii and the United States extend their 1875 reciprocity treaty out to 1898. As an amendment to the treaty, the United States gains the exclusive right to use Pearl Harbor, Oahu, as a naval base.

1891Liliuokalani becomes queen upon the death of her brother, King David Kalakaua.

1893 Business magnates overthrow Queen Liliuokalani and the monarchy, hoping to bring the kingdom into the United States. John L. Stevens, the American minister to Hawaii, declares that the kingdom is now a US protectorate. President Grover Cleveland, who does not favor annexation, sends Georgia representative James H. Blount to Hawaii as his special commissioner on the matter. Based on Blount's report, Cleveland turns down annexation and tries to restore Queen Liliuokalani on her throne. The president recalls Stevens and appoints Blount in his place.

1894 The revolutionary leaders refuse to reestablish the Hawaiian monarchy. They depose the Queen and establish their own provisional republic. Sanford B. Dole, the Hawaiian-born son of American missionaries, becomes its president. Congress quickly recognizes the republic.

1895 Native Hawaiians lead a counterrevolution against the new republic, seeking to restore Liliuokalani to the throne. The attempt fails, however, in part because of the presence of the American warship USS Philadelphia. Queen Liliuokalani is suspected of involvement and is placed under house arrest in the Iolani Palace. She is released in 1896 and returns to her home at Washington Place, Honolulu.

1898 With the support of President William McKinley, the United States annexes Hawaii. The Spanish-American War takes place.

1899 The US Navy establishes a naval station at Honolulu.

1900 Congress passes the Organic Act of 1990, which establishes the Territory of Hawaii. Sanford B. Dole is appointed the first territorial governor.

1902 Following channel dredging to provide deeper draft for warship, the Navy dedicates its base at Pearl Harbor.

1907 The territorial government establishes the land-grant College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts at Mānoa. This later develops into the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

1917 Queen Liliuokalani dies of a stroke.

1920 The land-grant college at Mānoa adds a liberal-arts program and becomes the University of Hawai'i.

1930s Tourism becomes a major industry for Hawaii, especially as air travel becomes more common. (Nonstop air service from the mainland begins in 1927). In 1935, Pan American Airways begins seaplane service to Hawaii aboard the China Clipper, ultimately connecting California with Hong Kong.

1937 Congress refuses to approve a proposal for Hawaii statehood.

1941–45 World War II. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launch a surprise air attack on the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The islands are under US martial law until March 1943. Despite suspicions about their loyalty, Hawaii's Japanese Americans serve in large numbers in the US armed forces and distinguish themselves in battle.

1959 Hawaii enters the Union on August 21, as the fiftieth state.

1969 Hawaii's state capitol building is opened.

1970 The University of Hawaii at Hilo is established.

1972 The flagship campus of the University of Hawai'i renames itself the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

1978 The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is established by constitutional amendment. The agency handles matters relating to Native Hawaiians.

1992 Hurricane Iniki strikes the island of Kauai, causing millions of dollars of damage.

1993 Congress officially apologizes to Native Hawaiians for the 1893 coup that overthrew the monarchy.

1994 Benjamin Cayetano is elected governor, the first Filipino American to be elected as a state's highest executive. He wins reelection in 1998.

1995 The State Capitol building reopens after four years of renovation.

2002 Linda Lingle, a Republican, becomes the first woman elected governor of Hawaii. She is reelected to a second term in 2006.

2006 A magnitude 6.6 earthquake, the strongest to hit the state in more than twenty years, causes flooding and major damage to structures. Governor Lingle makes a statewide disaster declaration.

2008 Hawaii native Barack Obama is elected the forty-fourth president of the United States, becoming both the first Hawaiian and the first African American to be elected to the nation’s highest office. He wins reelection to a second term in 2012.

2016 President Obama creates the Papahānaumokuākea National Monument Site, the largest marine conservation area in the world, in Hawaiian waters.

2018 In January, Hawaiian residents and visitors receive a false emergency missile alert due to human error. In May, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake causes Mount Kīlauea to erupt for the first time in decades, sending lava flows into residential areas and forcing the evacuation of several thousand people on the Big Island.

2020 Hawaii institutes travel restrictions and other measures in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023 Wildfires break out on Maui, devastating the town of Lahaina in particular. At least ninety-seven people are confirmed dead and the damage is estimated to cost $5.5 billion.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Auli'i Cravalho, 2000– (Kohala) , Actor.

Barack Hussein Obama II, 1961– (Honolulu) , US president

Benjamin "Ben" Cayetano, 1939– (Honolulu) , Former governor of Hawaii.

Bruno Mars, 1985– (Honolulu) , Singer.

Chad Rowan, "Akebono," 1969– (Hawaii) , Sumo wrestler.

Daniel Kahikina Akaka, 1924–2018 (Honolulu) , US senator.

Daniel K. Inouye, 1924–2012 (Honolulu) , US senator.

Don Ho, 1930–2007 (Honolulu) , Entertainer.

Ellison S. Onizuka, 1946–86 (Kealakekua) , Astronaut (died in Challenger Space Shuttle accident).

Hiram Bingham, 1875–1956 (Honolulu) , Explorer, Aviator, US senator (from Connecticut).

Hiram Leong Fong, 1906–2004 (Honolulu) , US senator (first Chinese American senator).

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, 1959–97 (Honolulu) , Musician and activist.

Jason Momoa, 1979– (Honolulu) , Actor.

John D. Waihee III, 1946– (Honokaa) , Governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994; first Native Hawaiian to hold that office.

Kamehameha I [born Paiea], 1758–1819 (North Kohala) , First king of Hawaii (i.e., of all the major islands).

Liliuokalani, 1838–1917 (Honolulu) , Queen of Hawaii (last reigning monarch).

Lois-Ann Yamanaka, 1961– (Ho’olchua) , Writer.

Luther H. Gulick, 1865–1918 (Honolulu) , Physical education instructor, youth leader, and cofounder of the Camp Fire Girls.

Michelle Wie West, 1989– (Honolulu) , Golfer.

Nicole Kidman, 1967– (Honolulu) , Actor.

Patsy Takemoto Mink, 1927–2002 (Paia) , US representative.

Patricia Fukuda Saiki, 1930– (Hilo) , US representative.

Robert Bunda, 1947– (Waialua) , State legislator.

Robert William Wilcox, 1855–1903 (Kahalu, Maui) , Territorial delegate to Congress, revolutionary leader.

Sanford Ballard Dole, 1844–1926 (Honolulu) , President of the Republic of Hawaii.

Spark Masayuki Matsunaga, 1916–90 (Kukuiula, Kauai) , US senator.

Steve Case, 1958– (Honolulu) , Entrepreneur, founder of America Online (AOL).

Thomas Ponce Gill, 1922–2009 (Honolulu) , US representative, lieutenant governor.

Tia Carrere, 1967– (Honolulu) , Actor.

TRIVIA

• Hawaii's early European and American residents were known as haoles.
• James Michener's novel Hawaii (which was made into a 1966 motion picture) tells the story of American Protestant missionaries in the Kingdom of Hawaii during the early nineteenth century.
• Hawaii has been the location for various popular television programs, including the police drama Hawaii Five-O in the 1960s and 1970s (and reimagined in 2010), the detective drama Magnum P.I. in the 1980s (rebooted in 2018), and the drama Lost in the early 2000s. Films prominently set there include From Here to Eternity (1953), Pearl Harbor (2001), Blue Crush (2002), Fifty First Dates (2004), and The Descendants (2011).
• About one-third of all the endangered species found in the United States can be found in Hawaii.
• Amid the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, small stones made of oviline crystals were wrongly reported to be raining from the sky. The gemlike pebbles likely came from older lava flows that had broken open.
• Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii became the first person of the Hindu faith and the first American Samoan to serve in the US Congress when she was elected in 2012. She later sought the Democratic Party nomination in the 2020 presidential campaign.

Bibliography

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"Economic Profile for Hawaii." BEARFACTS, US Bureau of Economic Analysis, 31 Mar. 2023, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

"Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer." Federal Bureau of Investigation, cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Haley, James L. Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii. St. Martin's P, 2014.

"Hawaii." QuickFacts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/HI/PST045222. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

"Hawaii: 2020 Census." US Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/hawaii-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 5 Oct. 2022.

"Hawaii: State Profile and Energy Estimates." US Energy Information Administration, 16 Mar. 2023, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=HI. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

"Unemployment Rates for States, 2022 Annual Averages." Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, 1 Mar. 2023, www.bls.gov/lau/lastrk22.htm. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Eric Badertscher