Hawaii
Quick Summary
Hawaii is a U.S. state composed of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. It became the 50th state in 1959 and is known as the "Crossroads of the Pacific" due to its strategic importance and role as a transportation hub.1
The islands are the tops of volcanic mountains formed over a geological hotspot. The eight major islands include Hawaii (the largest, often called the "Big Island"), Maui, Oahu (home to the capital, Honolulu), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. Active volcanoes like Kilauea and Mauna Loa are found on the Big Island.213
Early inhabitants arrived around 300 CE, with Polynesian culture developing over centuries. European contact began with Captain James Cook in 1778. Hawaii's economy is diverse, with significant contributions from tourism, research, and agriculture.4513
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
volcanoIntraplate volcanism…the southeast end of the Hawaiian chain are all less than one million years old. Two of these, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, are two of the most active volcanoes in the world. Northwestward along the Hawaiian chain each island is progressively older. The extinct volcano or volcanoes that formed the…
Read More…the southeast end of the Hawaiian chain are all less than one million years old. Two of these, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, are two of the most active volcanoes in the world. Northwestward along the Hawaiian chain each island is progressively older. The extinct volcano or volcanoes that formed the…
Read More- volcanoSubmarine volcanoes
…this youngest volcano of the Hawaiian chain have not been directly observed, seismographs detected swarms of earthquakes at shallow depths beneath the summit of Lō‘ihi in 1971–72, 1975, and 1996. Observers in a submersible research vessel from the University of Hawaii dove to Lō‘ihi as the 1996 earthquakes waned, and…
Read More…this youngest volcano of the Hawaiian chain have not been directly observed, seismographs detected swarms of earthquakes at shallow depths beneath the summit of Lō‘ihi in 1971–72, 1975, and 1996. Observers in a submersible research vessel from the University of Hawaii dove to Lō‘ihi as the 1996 earthquakes waned, and…
Read More