Hawaii
-
Where is Hawaii located?
Hawaii, the 50th U.S. state, is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. These islands lie 2,397 miles (3,857 km) from San Francisco, California, to the east and 5,293 miles (8,516 km) from Manila, in the Philippines, to the west. The eight major islands at the eastern end of the 1,500-mile (2,400-km) chain are, from west to east, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. Each volcanic mountain formed during the transit of the Pacific Plate across a hotspot. The capital is Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What makes Hawaii different from other U.S. states?
Hawaii, which became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, is different from other states due to its geographic location as a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Called the Crossroads of the Pacific, the state is a transportation hub and is strategically important to the U.S. global defense system.
Hawaii's population is a multiethnic society with a unique cultural heritage. The original Hawaiians descended from Polynesian settlers. Over time, immigrants from China, Japan, the Azores, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Korea, and other places created a multiethnic society.
Hawaii's economy relies on agriculture, diversified manufacturing, and tourism. The climate, water, soil, vegetation, and surrounding ocean are the state's only natural resources.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Hawaii become a state of the United States?
Hawaii's path to statehood involved the growing influence of a minority of white individuals over the Hawaiian monarchy. This led to economic treaties with the United States, such as the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, granting the U.S. special economic privileges and rights to establish a naval base at Pearl Harbor.
Later, American and European businessmen seized power in 1893, which resulted in a short-lived republic until the administration of President William McKinley annexed the islands as a U.S. territory in 1900. Movements for statehood emerged due to factors such as Hawaii's obligation to pay U.S. taxes without legislative representation. Hawaii officially became a state on August 21, 1959.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some important islands in Hawaii?
The major islands that make up the state of Hawaii are the summits of a chain of volcanic mountains. The eight main islands are, from west to east, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. The island of Hawaii, often referred to as the "Big Island", is the largest and easternmost island.
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is the climate like in Hawaii?
Hawaii has a mild tropical climate that many consider ideal. The northeast trade winds condition temperatures, making the islands comfortable year-round. The windward coasts have lush foliage because moisture-laden air condenses and dissipates against the shores and mountains, while the leeward coasts are drier.
Most Hawaiians recognize two seasons: summer (May–October) with high temperatures and reliable trade winds, and winter (November–April) with cooler temperatures and frequent rainstorms. The average temperature in Honolulu ranges from the low 70s F (about 22 °C) in the coolest month to the high 70s F (about 26 °C) in the warmest.
Rainfall varies dramatically across the state. Mount Waialeale on Kauai is known as the wettest spot on Earth, averaging about 450 inches (11,430 mm) of rainfall annually, while Kawaihae on the island of Hawaii is the driest, with only about 9 inches (220 mm) per year.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How does Hawaii's culture reflect its history and native traditions?
Hawaii's culture is a vibrant blend of native traditions and historical influences. The traditions of many ethnic groups have become mainstream in contemporary Hawaii, including the celebration of the Chinese New Year and the Japanese Bon festival.
At the heart of Hawaii's cultural identity is a renaissance that began in the 1970s, emphasizing the Hawaiian language, voyaging canoe traditions, the art of tattooing, traditional music, kapa making, and the hula. Hula, a sensuous mimetic Hawaiian dance, was originally a religious dance performed to honor the gods or praise chiefs. The "Aloha Spirit" reflects the diverse communities living together on the islands.
Poi, a starchy food paste made from the taro root, remains a staple, while poke, a dish of marinated raw fish, has gained international popularity. Hawaiian music is also a vital cultural force, drawing from diverse musical sources.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
News •
Hawaii, constituent state of the United States of America. Hawaii (Hawaiian: Hawai‘i) became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. The islands lie 2,397 miles (3,857 km) from San Francisco, California, to the east and 5,293 miles (8,516 km) from Manila, in the Philippines, to the west. The capital is Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu.
Hawaii was characterized by Mark Twain as “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” The name is thought to derive from Hawaiki, the former name of Raiatea, the ancestral home of Polynesians.
- Capital:
- Honolulu
- Population1:
- (2020) 1,455,271; (2025 est.) 1,432,820
- Governor:
- Josh Green (Democrat)
- Date Of Admission:
- Aug. 21, 1959
- U.S. Senators:
- Brian Schatz (Democrat)
- Mazie Hirono (Democrat)
- State 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 Bird:
- nene (Hawaiian goose)
- State Flower:
- yellow hibiscus
- State Song:
- “Hawai’i Pono’i”
- Seats In U.S. House Of Representatives:
- 2 (of 435)
- Time Zone:
- Hawaiian (GMT − 10 hours)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 28,412
Hawaii is economically vigorous, with diversified agriculture and manufacturing. Hawaiian activities of national and international importance include research and development in oceanography, geophysics, astronomy, satellite communications, and biomedicine. Often called the Crossroads of the Pacific, the state is strategically important to the global defense system of the United States and serves as a transportation hub of the Pacific basin. Finally, Hawaii is a cultural center and a major tourist mecca. Area 10,970 square miles (28,412 square km). Population (2020) 1,455,271; (2025 est.) 1,432,820.
Land
Relief
The land area of the state of Hawaii consists of the tops of a chain of emerged volcanic mountains that form 8 major islands and 124 islets, stretching in a 1,500-mile (2,400-km) crescent from Kure Island in the west to the island of Hawaii in the east. The eight major islands at the eastern end of the chain are, from west to east, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. Each volcanic mountain formed during the transit of the Pacific Plate across a hotspot (a region of Earth’s upper mantle that upwells to melt through the crust) located beneath the central Pacific Ocean, and erupting magma added mass to the crust above.
The origin of Hawaii’s islands, islets, and seamounts can be traced to at least 70 million years ago, near the end of the Cretaceous Period (145 million to 66 million years ago). Volcanic activity has become dormant, with the exception of the emergent volcanoes of Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and the Lō‘ihi Seamount. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are located on the easternmost and largest island, Hawaii (often referred to as the “Big Island”), where spectacular eruptions and lava flows take place from time to time. The Lō‘ihi Seamount, a growing volcano that could break the surface of the ocean tens of thousands of years from the present, is located 18.6 miles (30 km) southeast of the island of Hawaii. The highest Hawaiian mountains are Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, both on the island of Hawaii, reaching 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) and 13,678 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, respectively.
There has been little erosion in the geologically young areas, where the terrain is domelike or scattered with hardened lava, and the volcanic craters are clearly defined. In the older areas the mountains have been shaped and eroded by sea, rain, and wind. Their aspects thus include sharp and craggy silhouettes; abrupt, vertically grooved cliffs pocked with caves; deep valleys; collapsed craters (calderas); and coastal plains. The powerful Pacific surf, churning and crashing against the fringing coral shelves and the lava shorelines, has carried minute shells onto the shore and reduced coral and large shells to sand, creating the state’s famous expanses of beach.
Heavy rainfall in mountainous areas produces an extremely voluminous runoff, which is responsible for the erosion that forms the numerous grooves, ridges, and V-shaped valleys characteristic of the older volcanic islands such as Kauai and Oahu. The action of rain combined with waves has had a particularly dramatic effect on the more exposed windward sections of the islands.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Drainage
Because the topography of Hawaii is generally abruptly descending or sloping, there are few surfaces that collect water. Excess rainfall seeps through porous mountain areas to gather in subterranean chambers and layers retained by less-permeable lava and ash beds, or it is prevented by underlying salt water from seeping to the sea. The resultant artesian water supply is tapped for use in irrigation and also for human consumption. Many streams in Hawaii are intermittent, depending on the volume of rainfall. The island of Kauai has numerous perennial streams, the largest of which is the Wailua River.
How big is Hawaii?
Soils
As a result of the weathering of basaltic lava and volcanic ash, Hawaii is rich in arable soils. Given local conditions, with variations in rainfall and organic matter, the islands contain a wide variety of soils. Of these the most significant are the andisols and mollisols that are the product of lava flows that occurred more than 3,000 years ago on the islands of Maui and Hawaii and that are agriculturally productive when irrigated. Also suitable for agriculture are the oxisols of Oahu and Kauai, both of which are red from iron oxidation.