Hawai'i State Facts
Hawai'i is a string of 137 islands. The major islands are: Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, and Hawai'i (a.k.a. "Big Island"). Hawai'i became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. Honolulu is the capital city. The resident population is approximately 1.3 million.
Nickname: Aloha State
State Motto: Ua Mau ke ea o ka'aina i ka pono. (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.)
State Flower: Yellow Hibiscus (pua ma'o hau hele; Hibiscus brachenridgei)
State Tree: Candlenut (kukui; Alerrites moluccana)
State Gem: Black Coral
State Bird: Hawaiian Goose (nene; Branta sandvicensis)
State Marine Animal: Humpback Whale
State Fish: Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
State Song: Hawaii Pono'i
State Individual Sport: Surfing
State Team Sport: Outrigger Canoe Paddling
Other Interesting Facts:
Hawai'i is the only US state that produces coffee.
Hawai'i supplies more than one-third of the world's supply of pineapples, about 320,000 tons per year.
The big Island is the world wide leader in harvesting macadamia nuts.
The state's leading agricultural products (in order of sales $): Pineapple, flower & nursery sugar, macadamia nuts, aquaculturer, coffee, milk & cattle.
Hawai'i is the most ethnically and racially diverse state in the union. Ethnicity (2007): Hawaiian/Part Hawaiian (24.2%); Caucasian (23%); Japanese (15.6%); Filipino (11.2%); Chinese (3.5%)
Hawai'i has its own time zone called Hawaiian Standard Time. There is no daylight savings time.
The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only twelve letters and the '. The five vowels are A, E, I, O, U. The seven consonants are H, K, L, M, N, P, W.
Iolani Palace, located in downtown Honolulu, is the only royal palace in the United States.
The Big Island has the southernmost tip of the US and is the only state that is still growing (from volcanic activity).
Mauna Loa (Big Island) is the world's largest active volcano.
Mauna Kea (Big Island) is the highest point in the state at 13,796 feet (4,205 metres) above sea level. When measured from its base at the ocean floor, Fauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world with another 17,000 feet (5,181metres) below sea level.
