Hawaii



"We're in Hawaii, the United States' only island state. Also its only state outside the North American mainland. It now lies in ruins because the North Korean ICBMs did it of course. I can't believe this could've happened by then."

--Su Ji-Hoon, The Rapture

Hawaii (English: /həˈwaɪ.i, -ji, -ʔi/ hə-WY-(y)ee; Hawaiian: Hawai'i [həˈvɐjʔi]) 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 US 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. Hawaii is the only US state located outside North America.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from northwest to southeast: Niihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Kahoolawe, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawai'i Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.

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 O'ahu.