Hawaii

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Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i.

Hawaii, pronounced “ha-wai-ee,” is the only U.S. state that is completely surrounded by water, is the only state that continues to grow in area because of active extrusive lava flows, and has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else.

This archipelago represents the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the earth's mantle. At about 3000km (1860 miles) from the nearest continent, the Hawaiian Island archipelago is the most isolated grouping of islands on Earth.

Geography

Photograph of the Hawaiian Islands from Space Shuttle Discovery, looking southeast by south. Kaua‘i is closest at bottom right

The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an archipelago of nineteen islands and atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts trending northwest by southeast in the North Pacific Ocean between latitudes 19°N and 29°N. The archipelago takes its name from the largest island in the group and extends some 1500 miles (2400 km) from the Island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll.

Of these, eight high islands are considered the "main islands" and are located at the southeastern end of the archipelago. These islands are, in order from the northwest to southeast, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii.

All of the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes arising from the sea floor through a vent described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. This explains why only volcanoes on the southern half of the Island of Hawaii are presently active.

The last volcanic eruption outside the Island of Hawaii happened at Haleakalā on Maui in the late 18th century. The newest volcano to form is Lōihi, deep below the waters off the southern coast of the Island of Hawaii.

The islands are the farthest removed from any other body of land in the world. The isolation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the wide range of environments to be found on high islands located in and near the tropics, has resulted in a vast array of endemic flora and fauna, with a considerable number found exclusively in Hawaii or the surrounding ocean. Because of the islands' volcanic formation, native life before human activity is said to have arrived by the "3 W's": wind, waves, and wings. The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features.

Hawaii is notable for rainfall: Mount Waialeale, on the island of Kauai, has the second highest average annual rainfall on earth: about 460 inches (11.7 m). The Big Island of Hawaii is notable as the world's fifth highest island. If the height of the island is measured from its base, deep in the ocean, to its snow-clad peak on Mauna Kea, it can be considered one of the tallest mountains in the world.

File:Hawaii Sunset.jpg

A sunset in Hawaii

The climate of Hawaii is atypical for a tropical area, and is regarded as more subtropical than the latitude would suggest, because of the moderating effect of the surrounding ocean. Temperatures and humidity tend to be less extreme, with summer high temperatures seldom reaching above the upper 80s (°F) and winter temperatures (at low elevation) seldom dipping below the mid-60s. Snow, although not usually associated with tropics, falls at high elevations on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island in some winter months. Snow only rarely falls on Maui's Haleakalā.

Local climates vary considerably on each island, grossly divisible into windward (koolau) and leeward (ewa) areas based upon location relative to the higher mountains. Windward sides face the northeast trades and receive much more rainfall; leeward sides are drier, with less rain and less cloud cover. This fact is utilized by the tourist industry, which concentrates resorts on sunny leeward coasts.

The largest city, Honolulu, was the one chosen by King Kamehameha III as the capital of his kingdom because of the natural harbor there, the present-day Honolulu Harbor. The largest city is the capital, Honolulu, located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu. Other populous cities include Hilo, Kaneohe, Kailua, Pearl City, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Kihei, and Lihue.

History

The islands were first settled by Polynesians, either in a rather continuous process during the second half of the 1st millennium AD, or first by voyagers from the Marquesas sometime before 500 C.E., and then by a second wave of immigrants from Tahiti around 1300 C.E. (one-migration and two-migration theories); currently, the former is preferred among some archaeologists as it better fits their interpetation of the archaeological record (note that "one-migration" does not imply a single settlement voyage, but merely a single, continuous settlement period).

Juan Gaetano, a Spanish navigator, may have visited in 1555. However, Spain never claimed the islands and on January 18, 1778 Captain James Cook and his crew were surprised to find high islands so far north in the Pacific. He named them the Sandwich Islands, after the First Lord of the Admiralty, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu.

Hawaii was united under a single ruler, Kamehameha I, in 1810. Until 1816 the chiefs considered themselves under British protection and flew the Union Jack. The monarchy then adopted a flag similar to the state's present flag, with the Union Jack in the canton (top quarter next to the flagpole) and eight horizontal stripes (alternating white, red and blue from the top), representing the eight islands of Hawaii.

In 1819, Kamehameha II ascended to the throne. Under intense pressure from his co-regent and stepmother, Ka'ahumanu, he allowed the kapu system that had ruled life in the island to be abolished. See Ai noa. In 1820, missionaries from a New England Congregationalist missionary group, the ABCFM, arrived. They were received coldly at first, but after a year of limited permission to prostelyze, some of the highest-ranking chiefs converted, including Ka'ahumanu. They were then given permission to stay permanently. The commoners swiftly followed the example of their leaders and converted to Protestant Christianity. The Christian chiefs attempted to rule the islands as a Christian nation, which led to intense conflicts with other resident Westerners and visiting ships, all of whom preferred the old regime of abundant alcohol and promiscuous women.

Non-Hawaiian residents also pushed for a change in the land tenure practices of the kingdom. Land was held at the will of the chiefs, and could be taken at any time. The non-residents wished to hold land in fee simple, according to their own customs. The ruling chiefs were eventually persuaded to allow the land to be surveyed and divided between the king, the chiefs, and the commoners. Westerners would then be able to purchase land or register land claims. The Great mahele (land division) was signed into law on March 7, 1848 by King Kamehameha III, or Kauikeaouli, son of Kamehameha I.

On March 18, 1874 Hawaii signed a treaty with the United States granting Americans exclusive trading rights.

The 1876 Reciprocity Treaty between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States allowed for duty free importation of Hawaiian grown sugar (from sugar cane) into the United States. This act greatly altered the Hawaiian landscape by promoting sugar plantation agriculture. Although the treaty also included duty free importation of rice, which was by this time becoming a major crop in the abandoned taro loi of the wetter parts of the islands, it was the influx of immigrants from Asia (first Chinese, and later Japanese) needed to support the escalating sugar industry, that provided the impetus for expansion of rice growing in Hawaii. Thus the treaty had several far reaching impacts on Hawaii:

• Sugar cane and plantation agriculture expanded greatly.
• High water requirements for growing sugar cane resulted in extensive water works projects on all of the major islands to divert streams from the wet, windward slopes to the dry lowlands.
• An influx of Asian immigrants was encouraged to work the plantations.
• The traditional Hawaiian staple (taro) was replaced by rice growing to satisfy an expanding local market for the latter.

Up to the 1890s, the Kingdom of Hawaii was independent and had been recognized by the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany with exchange of ambassadors. This did not, however, mean there were not threats to the Kingdom's sovereignty made during that time.

The most serious incident occurred on February 10, 1843. Lord George Paulet of the Royal Navy warship HMS Carysfort entered Honolulu Harbor and captured the Honolulu fort, effectively gaining control of the town. Paulet then demanded King Kamehameha III abdicate and that the Hawaiian Islands be ceded to the British Crown. Under the guns of the frigate, Kamehameha stepped down, but lobbied a formal protest with both the British government and Paulet's superior, Admiral Richard Thomas. Thomas repudiated Paulet's actions, and on July 31, 1843, restored the Hawaiian government.

In 1887, a group of American-born cabinet officials and advisors to David Kalakaua and an armed militia forced the king to promulgate what is today known as the Bayonet Constitution. The constitution was in response to Kalakaua's capricious use of power, and it stripped the monarchy of much of its authority. Asians were completely removed from the voting population and over 75 percent of the native Hawaiian] population lost its right to vote in its own elections through significant income and property requirements. Only well-to-do Europeans, Americans and Hawaiians were given full voting rights. When Kalkaua died in 1891, his sister Liliuokalani assumed the throne. With lukewarm support of native Hawaiians and other Hawaiian citizens, in defiance of the constitution she had sworn to uphold, the queen drafted a new constitution that would restore the monarchy's authority and strip American and European residents of the suffrage they had obtained in 1887.

In response, a group of European and American Hawaiian citizens and residents in Hawaii formed a committee of safety to prevent the queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii from enacting on her threat to abrogate the current constitution on January 14, 1893. United States Government Minister John L. Stevens, worried about possible threats to non-combatant American lives and property, summoned a company of uniformed U.S. Marines from the USS Boston and two companies of U.S. sailors to land on the Kingdom and take up positions at the U.S. Legation, Consulate, and Arion Hall on the afternoon of January 16th, 1893.

A provisional government was set up without substantial support among indigenous Hawaiians or the government. Under this pressure, Liliuokalani gave up her throne to the Committee of Safety.

A hasty investigation established by Cleveland was conducted by former Congressman James Henderson Blount, and concluded on July 17, 1893, "United States diplomatic and military representatives had abused their authority and were responsible for the change in government." Minister Stevens was recalled, and the military commander of forces in Hawaii was forced to resign his commission.

On February 26, 1894, the Morgan Report] was submitted, exonerating Stevens and the U.S. troops from any involvement in the overthrow. In response to this report, Cleveland backed off from his previous rhetoric surrounding the overthrow, and conducted normal diplomatic relations with the Provisional Government, and the Republic of Hawaii. He rebuffed entreaties from the Queen to interfere further in the matter, and in a stunning turnaround accepted the legitimacy of the overthrow he had so virulently castigated.

The Republic of Hawaii was established July 4, 1894, under the presidency of Sanford Dole.

In 1896, William McKinley replaced Cleveland as president. Two years later, he signed the Newlands Resolution which provided for the official annexation of Hawaii on July 7, 1898 and the islands officially became Hawaii Territory, a United States territory, on February 22, 1900. The territorial legislature convened for the first time on February 20, 1901.

An attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December, 1941 by the Empire of Japan was a trigger for the United States' entry into World War II.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill on March 18, 1959 which allowed for Hawaiian statehood. Hawaii formally became the 50th state of the Union on August 21, 1959.

The Democratic Party became a dominant force in state politics shortly after World War II. Democrats have held a majority in both houses of the state legislature since statehood, and held the governorship for 40 years (from 1962-2002).

The manner in which Hawaii became a U.S. possession has been a bitter part of its history for some activists unaware of the Morgan Report. With U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii championing it, President Bill Clinton signed the "Apology Resolution" a joint resolution of the United States Congress, on November 23, 1993; it explicitly apologized for alleged American participation in what it asserted was an illegal overthrow. This resolution was not debated on the merits, or with the evidence of Congress' previous investigation into the matter, and has been criticized for its factual errors.

Sen. Akaka was also author of a bill of debated constitutionality that would extend federal recognition to Native Hawaiians as an indigenous people, enabling them to engage in nation-to-nation negotiations with the U.S. government in the same manner as Native American tribes. This is despite the fact that the Hawaiian Kingdom was always a multi-racial Kingdom.

All islands voted at least 93 percent in favor of Admission acts. Ballot(inset) and referendum results for the Admission Act of 1959.

Politics

The state government of Hawaii is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from the kingdom era of Hawaiian history. As codified in the Constitution of Hawaii, there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.

The executive branch is led by the Governor of Hawaii and assisted by the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, both elected on the same ticket. The governor, in residence at Washington Place, is the only public official elected for the state government in a statewide race; all other administrators and judges are appointed by the governor. The lieutenant governor is concurrently the Secretary of State of Hawaii. The governor and lieutenant governor oversee the major agencies and departments of the executive of which there are twenty.

The legislative branch consists of the Hawaii State Legislature, the twenty-five members of the Hawaii State Senate, led by the President of the Senate, and the fifty-one members of the Hawaii State House of Representative, led by the Speaker of the House. They also govern from the Hawaii State Capitol.

The judicial branch is led by the highest state court, the Hawaii State Supreme Court. Lower courts are organized as the Hawaii State Judiciary.

The state is represented in the Congress of the United States by a delegation of four members.

Hawaii is primarily dominated by the Democratic Party and has supported Democrats in 10 of the 12 presidential elections in which it has participated. In 2004, John Kerry won the state's four electoral votes by a margin of nine percentage points with 54 percent of the vote. Every county in the state supported the Democratic candidate.

Unique to Hawaii is the way it has organized its municipal governments. There are no incorporated cities in Hawaii except the City & County of Honolulu. All other municipal governments are administered at the county level. The county executives are the Mayor of Hawaii, Mayor of Honolulu, Mayor of Kauai, and Mayor of Maui. All mayors in the state are elected in nonpartisan races.

Demographics

Historical populations

Census year	Population
1900	154,001
1910	191,874
1920	255,881
1930	368,300
1940	422,770
1950	499,794
1960	632,772
1970	769,913
1980	964,691
1990	1,108,229
2000	1,211,537

As of 2005, Hawaii has an estimated population of 1,275,194, which is an increase of 63,657, or 5.3 percent, since the year 2000. The military presence and tourism attracts people to Hawaii. Oahu, which is aptly nicknamed "The Gathering Place", is the most populous island (and the one with the highest population density), with a resident population of just under one million.

Ethnically, Hawaii is the only state that has a majority group that is non-white (and one of only four in which non-Hispanic whites do not form a majority) and has the largest percentage of Asian Americans.

According to the 2000 Census, 6.6 percent of Hawaii's population identified themselves as Native Hawaiian, 24.3 percent were White American, including Portuguese and 41.6 percent were Asian American, including 0.1 percent Indian American, 4.7 percent Chinese, 14.1 percent Filipino], 16.7 percent Japanese], 1.9 percent Korean, and 0.6 percent Vietnamese. A group of 1.3 percent were other Pacific Islander American, which includes Samoan American, Tongan], Tahitian, Māori and Micronesian. A total 21.4 percent described themselves as mixed race. Just under two percent were black or African American, and 0.3% were Native American and Alaska Native.

Hawaiʻi Population Density Map

The second group of foreigners to arrive upon Hawaii's shores, after the Europeans, were the Chinese employees, serving on Western trading ships, who disembarked and settled from 1789. Many of the people of Asian ancestry in Hawaii are descendants of waves of early foreign immigrants brought there from the 1850s to work on the sugar plantations.

As of 2000, 73.4 percent of Hawaii residents age five and older speak only English at home and 7.9 percent speak Pacific Island languages. Tagalog] is the third most spoken language at 5.4 percent, followed by Japanese at 5 percent and Chinese] at 2.6 percent. The official languages are Hawaiian language and Hawaiian English. Hawaiian Pidgin is an unofficial language.

• Religion
  • Christian = 68%
    • Protestant = 42%
      • Congregational/United Church of Christ= 3%
      • Baptist = 2%
      • Methodist = 2%
    • Catholic = 24%
    • LDS = 2%
  • Agnostic/non-religious = 18%
  • Buddhist = 9%
  • Other (e.g. Shinto, Tao, pagan) = 5%
• See also: Richest Places in Hawaiʻi

The state of Hawaiʻi has two official languages as prescribed by the Constitution of Hawaiʻi adopted at the 1978 constitutional convention: Hawaiian and English. Article XV, Section 4 requires the use of Hawaiian in official state business such as public acts, documents, laws and transactions. Standard Hawaiian English, a subset of American English, is also commonly used for other formal business. Hawaiian is legally acceptable in all legal documents, from depositions to legislative bills. The third and fourth most spoken languages are Tagalog and Japanese, respectively.

Origins

Hawaiian is a member of the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family. It was brought to the islands by Polynesian seafarers, who are thought to have arrived around 1300 C.E.

Before the arrival of Captain James Cook, the Hawaiian language was purely a spoken language. The first written form of Hawaiian was developed by American Protestant missionaries in Hawaiʻi during the early 19th century. The missionaries assigned letters from the English alphabet that roughly corresponded to the Hawaiian sounds. Later, additional characters were added to clarify pronunciation.

Unlike English, Hawaiian is a mora-timed language. This means that it distinguishes between long and short vowels. In the writing system, the long vowels are written with a macron called kahakō. Also unlike English, in Hawaiian, the presence or absence of a glottal stop is distinctive. In writing, a glottal stop is indicated with the ʻokina. When a Hawaiian word is spelled without the necessary ʻokina and kahakō, it is impossible for someone who does not already know the word to guess at the proper pronunciation.

Omission of the ʻokina and kahakō in printed texts can even obscure the meaning of a word. For example, the word lanai means stiff-necked, while lānai means veranda, and Lānaʻi is the name of one of the Hawaiian islands. This can be a problem in interpreting 19th century Hawaiian texts recorded in the older orthography. For these reasons, careful writers now use the modern Hawaiian orthography.

Revival

As a result of the constitutional provision, interest in the Hawaiian language was revived in the late 20th century. Public and independent schools throughout the state began teaching Hawaiian language standards as part of the regular curricula, beginning with preschool. With the help of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, also created by the 1978 constitutional convention, specially designated Hawaiian language immersion schools were established where students would be taught in all subjects using Hawaiian. Also, the University of Hawaiʻi System developed the only Hawaiian language graduate studies program in the world. Municipal codes were altered in favor of Hawaiian place and street names for new civic developments.

Pidgin

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A majority of citizens in Hawaiʻi currently speak what many linguists refer to as Hawaiian Creole English (HCE). In 1778, Europeans discovered the islands of Hawaiʻi and the 19th century saw a great increase in immigrations from neighboring countries and a Pidgin form of English developed, consisting of varying degrees of English comprehension along with elements of the native Hawaiians' language. By the early 20th century, a Creole English developed. A Creole language is typically considered to be a language derived from Pidgin speakers passing their language to the next generation. As the next generation acquires the pidgin language it becomes solidified and standardized. One interesting trait of the HCE is that it managed to preserve many terms from the original Hawaiian language, even after most natives had died due to a variety of diseases. In Hawaiʻi, modern speakers are likely to include smatterings of Hawaiian words without having those words being considered archaic. Here are some examples of Hawaiian words which are still commonly in use today:

Aloha: this word is generally a courteous greeting; it can have a variety of meanings including connotations of love, affections, kindness, well wishing, and can be used for hello and goodbye. Mahalo: similar to aloha, this word can have many meanings and is generally a showing of gratitude. Typically, it is the equivalent of saying thank you. This word is frequently used after a business interaction is completed. Keiki: this word is a term for a young child, normally one who has not reached the age of reason. Frequently signs will be posted on lawns reading "Keiki at Play", meaning drive slow, children are playing. Haole: This is the Hawaiian word used to refer to Caucasians or foreigners in general. The term suggests classification but is not necessarily derogatory. A person who has one Caucasian parent and one Pacific Islander parent will commonly be referred to as a "Hapa-Haole" (hapa meaning 'half').

Most streets, cities, and towns in Hawaiʻi are named after words from the native language. For example, the large town on Maui called Lāhainā is taken from a Hawaiian phrase meaning "Unmerciful Sun." The first large shopping center was built on Honolulu and named "Ala Moana" (ala=path to, moana=ocean). Also, the names native Hawaiians gave to indigenous wildlife remained the same after foreign influences came to the island. For example, tuna fish are commonly referred to by their Hawaiian name "ahi." Also, many Hawaiian words have found their way into the mainstream American lexicon, such as:

Hula: dance involving gyration of hips Luʻau: festive gathering featuring food and dance Lei: necklace made of flowers strung together Muʻumuʻu: large flowing dress Tiki: image of a deity carved from wood

The HCE as it is generally spoken employs a very lax usage of English grammar. Aspects of language such as articles, prepositions, and proper nouns are frequently dropped if their meaning is understood. For example, instead of saying "It is hot today, isn't it?" an HCE speaker is likely to say simply "Hot, yeah?" HCE speakers also frequently will use English words while changing the meaning and intent of the words. For example, the terms "auntie" and "uncle" can be used to refer to any adult who is a friend or a friend to the family. This terminology creates a very personal sense of community. HCE speakers also have acquired a form of slang in their common speech. There are many phrases used on a daily basis that appear to be original and yet are in some ways derived from English phrases, such as:

Brah: this is a shortening of "Brother" but can refer to any friend or acquaintance. Broke da mout: this literally means "broke the mouth" and is said to imply that a food someone cooked is delicious. Choke: this is used to suggest that there is more than enough of something. Da Kine: this literally means "the kind" but is used as a substitute for a noun when the noun cannot be remembered. For example, a person can point to a cucumber on a table and say "Pass me da kine." Grind: this means to eat a large amount of food quickly. I K sufa: it is hard to translate this term literally, but it essentially is used to empathize with another's misfortune. Lickins: this literally means "lickings" and is used to imply punishment such as spanking to a child. Mo bettah: this essentially means that one thing is better in comparison to something else. Pidgin to da max: this phrase is used to refer to a person who has a very limited understanding of proper English pronunciation and grammar.

Oftentimes tourists, or "haoles", will see HCE speakers as people of lower intelligence. The contrary can be argued; considering how Hawaiʻi has very little in terms of industry (most of its exports are agricultural), the HCE is sufficient for their needs. The population of Hawaiʻi is growing, Honolulu in particular is becoming more urbanized, and there are some who speculate Hawaiʻi will become a technopolis in the near future. If this were to happen, it is then possible for the HCE to be deemed insufficient.

Throughout the surfing boom in Hawaii, HCE has influenced surfing slang. Many HCE words such as Brah, and Da kine have found their way to other places. The usage of "da" instead of "the" is common amongst surfers worldwide.

Debates

A somewhat divisive political issue that has arisen since the Constitution of Hawaiʻi adopted Hawaiian as an official state language is the exact spelling of the state's name. As prescribed in the Admission of Hawaiʻi Act that granted Hawaiian statehood, the federal government recognizes Hawaii to be the official state name. However, many state and municipal entities and officials have recognized Hawaiʻi to be the correct state name, and this is how it is spelled in standard Hawaiian English.

Official government publications, as well as department and office titles, use the traditional Hawaiian spelling. Private entities, including local mass media, also have shown a preference for the use of the ʻokina. While in local Hawaiian society the spelling and pronunciation of Hawaiʻi is preferred in nearly all cases, even by standard English speakers, the federal spelling is used for purposes of interpolitical relations between other states and foreign governments.

The nuances in the Hawaiian language debate are often not obvious or well-appreciated outside Hawaiʻi. The issue has often been a source of friction in situations where correct naming conventions are mandated, as people frequently disagree over which spelling is correct or incorrect, and where it is correctly or incorrectly applied.

Seealso Hawaiian alphabet

Economy

The history of Hawaiʻi can be traced through a succession of dominating industries: sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Since statehood was achieved in 1959, tourism has been the largest industry in Hawaiʻi, contributing 24.3% of the Gross State Product (GSP) in 1997. New efforts are underway to diversify the economy. The total gross output for the state in 2003 was US$47 billion; per capita income for Hawaiʻi residents was US$30,441.

Industrial exports from Hawaiʻi include food processing and apparel. These industries play a small role in the Hawaiʻi economy, however, due to the considerable shipping distance to markets on the west coast of the United States and ports of Japan. The main agricultural exports are nursery stock and flowers, coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock, and sugar cane. Agricultural sales for 2002, according to the Hawaiʻi Agricultural Statistics Service, were US$370.9 million from diversified agriculture, US$100.6 million from pineapple, and US$64.3 million from sugarcane.

Hawaiʻi is known for its relatively high per capita state tax burden. In the years 2002 and 2003, Hawaiʻi residents had the highest state tax per capita at US$2,757 and US$2,838, respectively. This rate can be explained partly by the fact that services such as education, health care and social services are all rendered at the state level — as opposed to the municipal level as all other states.

Millions of tourists contribute to the collection figure by paying the general excise tax and hotel room tax; thus not all the taxes collected come directly from residents. Business leaders, however, have often considered the state's tax burden as being too high, contributing to both higher prices and the perception of an unfriendly business climate [1]. See the list of businesses in Hawaiʻi for more information on commerce in the state.

Until recently, Hawaiʻi was the only state in the U.S. that attempted to control gasoline prices through a Gas Cap Law. The law was enacted during a period when oil profits in Hawaiʻi in relation to the Mainland U.S. were under scrutiny, and sought to tie local gasoline prices to those of the Mainland. The law took effect in September 2005 amid price fluctuations caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Hawaiʻi state legislature suspended the law in April 2006.

Education

Main article: Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Hawaiʻi is currently the only state in the union with a unified school system statewide. It is also the oldest public education system west of the Mississippi River. Policy decisions are made by the fourteen-member state Board of Education, with thirteen members elected for four-year terms and one non-voting student member. The Board of Education sets statewide educational policy and hires the state superintendent of schools, who oversees the operations of the state Department of Education. The Department of Education is also divided into seven districts, four on Oʻahu and one for each of the other counties.

The structure of the state Department of Education has been a subject of discussion and controversy in recent years. The main rationale for the current centralized model is equity in school funding and distribution of resources: leveling out inequalities that would exist between highly populated Oʻahu and the more rural Neighbor Islands, and between lower-income and more affluent areas of the state. This system of school funding differs from many localities in the United States where schools are funded from local property taxes.

Policy initiatives have been made in recent years toward decentralization. Current Governor Linda Lingle is a proponent of replacing the current statewide board with seven elected district boards. The Democrat-controlled state legislature opposed her proposal, instead favoring expansion of decision-making power to the schools and giving schools more discretion over budgeting. Political debate of structural reform is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

Schools and academies

As stated earlier in the article, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education operates all of the public schools in the state of Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi has the distinction of educating more students in independent institutions of secondary education than any other state in the United States. It also has four of the largest independent schools: Mid-Pacific Institute, ʻIolani School, Kamehameha Schools, and Punahou School. The second Buddhist high school in the United States, and first Buddhist high school in Hawaiʻi, Pacific Buddhist Academy, was founded in 2003. (The first Buddhist high school in the United States was Developing Virtue Secondary School founded in 1981 in Ukiah, California.)

Other popular independent schools include Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Maryknoll School, St. Andrew's Priory, and Saint Louis School.

Both independent and charter schools can select their students, while the regular public schools must take all students in their district. For a comprehensive list of independent schools, see the list of independent schools in Hawaiʻi. For a comprehensive list of public schools, see the list of public schools in Hawaiʻi.

Colleges and universities

Graduates of institutions of secondary learning in Hawaiʻi often either enter directly into the work force or attend colleges and universities. While many choose to attend colleges and universities on the mainland or elsewhere, most choose to attend one of many institutions of higher learning in Hawaiʻi.

The largest of these institutions is the University of Hawaiʻi System. It consists of the flagship research university at Manoa, two comprehensive campuses Hilo and West Oʻahu, and 7 Community Colleges. Students choosing private education attend Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi Pacific University and University of the Nations.

The Saint Stephen Diocesan Center is a seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. For a comprehensive list of colleges and universities, see the list of colleges and universities in Hawaiʻi.

Problems

Public schools in Hawaiʻi have to deal with large populations of children of non-native English speaking immigrants and a culture that is different in many ways from mainland U.S., from whence most of the course materials come and where most of the standards for schools are set.

The public elementary, middle, and high school scores in Hawaiʻi tend to be below average on national tests as mandated under the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of this can be attributed to the Hawaiʻi State Board of Education requiring all eligible students to take these tests and reporting all student test scores unlike, for example, Texas and Michigan. Results reported in August 2005 indicate that two-thirds of Hawaiʻi's schools failed to reach federal minimum performance standards in math and reading (of 282 schools across the state, 185 failed [2]).

On the other hand, results of the ACT college placement tests show that Hawaiʻi class of 2005 seniors scored slightly above the national average (21.9 compared with 20.9) (Honolulu Advertiser, Aug. 17, 2005, p. B1). It should be noted that fewer students take the ACT examination than take the more widely accepted SAT examination. On the SAT Hawaiʻi's college bound seniors tend to score below the national average in all categories except math.

Hawaiʻi, like all other states in the United States, is struggling to provide educational services in its public schools with shrinking budgets.^{[citation needed]}

Miscellaneous topics

Symbols

The state constitution and various other measures of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature established official symbols meant to embody the distinctive culture and heritage of Hawaiʻi. These include a state bird, state flower, state gem, state mammal, and state tree. The humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa or reef triggerfish was the state fish, but in 1990, the authorizing legislation was found to have expired. The humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa was reinstated as the state fish on May 2, 2006.

Included are the two statues representing Hawaiʻi in the United States Capitol; those of King Kamehameha I and Father Damien.

The primary symbol is the state flag, Ka Hae Hawaiʻi, influenced by the British Union Flag and features eight horizontal stripes representing the eight major Hawaiian Islands. The constitution declares the state motto to be Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono, a pronouncement of King Kamehameha III meaning, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." It was also the motto of the kingdom, republic and territory. The state song is Hawaiʻi ponoʻī, written by King Kalākaua and composed by Henri Berger. Hawaiʻi Aloha is the unofficial state song, often sung in official state events.

• Nene.neck.arp.600pix.jpg

  Hawaiian goose
  Nēnē
  State Bird

• Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.jpg

  Reef triggerfish
  Humuhumunukunuku-
  āpuaʻa
  State Fish

• Maohauhele.jpg

  Hawaiian hibiscus
  Maʻo hau hele
  State Flower

• Aleuritesmoluccana1web.jpg

  Candlenut
  Kukuʻi
  State Tree

• 

  Humpback whale
  Koholā kuapiʻo
  State Mammal

• Fatherdamienstatue2.jpg

  Father Damien Statue
  State Capitol

Media

Newspapers

Two major competing Honolulu-based newspapers serve all of Hawaiʻi. The Honolulu Advertiser is owned by Gannett Pacific Corporation while the Honolulu Star-Bulletin is owned by Black Press of British Columbia in Canada. Both are among the largest newspapers in the United States in terms of circulation. Other locally published newspapers are available to residents of the various islands.

The Hawaiʻi business community is served by the Pacific Business News and Hawaiʻi Business Magazine. The largest religious community in Hawaiʻi is served by the Hawaiʻi Catholic Herald. Honolulu Magazine is a popular magazine that offers local interest news and feature articles.

Apart from the mainstream press, the state also enjoys a vibrant ethnic publication presence with newspapers for the Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Native Hawaiian communities. In addition, there is an alternative weekly, the Honolulu Weekly.

Television

All the major television networks are represented in Hawaiʻi through KFVE (WB network affiliate), KGMB (CBS network affiliate), KHET (PBS network affiliate), KHNL (NBC network affiliate), KHON (Fox network affiliate), KIKU (UPN network affiliate) and KITV (ABC network affiliate), among others. From Honolulu, programming at these stations is rebroadcast to the various other islands via networks of satellite transmitters. Until the advent of satellite, most network programming was broadcast a week behind mainland scheduling.

The various production companies that work with the major networks have produced television series and other projects in Hawaiʻi. Most notable were police dramas like Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-O. Currently, the hit TV show Lost is filmed in the Hawaiian Islands. A comprehensive list of such projects can be seen at the list of Hawaiʻi television series.

Film

Hawaiʻi has a growing film industry administered by the state through the Hawaiʻi Film Office. Several television shows, movies and various other media projects were produced in the Hawaiian Islands, taking advantage of the natural scenic landscapes as backdrops. Notable films produced in Hawaiʻi or were inspired by Hawaiʻi include Hawaii, Blue Hawaii, Donovan's Reef, From Here to Eternity, South Pacific, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lost, Jurassic Park, Outbreak, Waterworld, Six Days Seven Nights, George of the Jungle, 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Blue Crush, and Lilo and Stitch. The upcoming film Snakes on a Plane takes place on an airline bound for Hawaii. Hawaiʻi is home to a prominent film festival known as the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Hawaiʻi

The aboriginal culture of Hawaiʻi is Polynesian. Hawaiʻi represents the northernmost extension of the vast Polynesian triangle of the south and central Pacific Ocean. While traditional Hawaiian culture remains only as vestiges influencing modern Hawaiian society, there are reenactments of ancient ceremonies and traditions throughout the islands. Some of these cultural influences are strong enough to have affected the culture of the United States at large, including the popularity (in greatly modified form) of luʻaus and hula.

• Customs and etiquette in Hawaiʻi
• Folklore in Hawaiʻi
• Hawaiian mythology
• List of Hawaiʻi state parks
• List of Hawaiʻi State Landmarks
• List of Hawaiʻi-related topics
• Literature in Hawaiʻi
• Music of Hawaiʻi
• Polynesian mythology
• Tourism of Hawaiʻi

Sister states

Hawaiʻi has an active sister state program, which includes ties to:

• Azores, Portugal (1982)
• Cebu, Philippines (1996)
• Cheju Province, South Korea (1986)
• Ehime, Japan (2003)
• Fukuoka, Japan (1981)
• Guangdong, China (1985)
• Hainan, China (1992)
• Hiroshima, Japan (1997)
• Ilocos Norte, Philippines (2005)
• Ilocos Sur, Philippines (1985)
• Okinawa, Japan (1985)
• Pangasinan, Philippines (2002)
• Taiwan, ROC (1993)
• Tianjin, China (2002)

Famous people from Hawaiʻi

The list of famous people from Hawaiʻi is a comprehensive, alphabetized list of persons who have achieved fame that presently or at one time claimed Hawaiʻi as their home. Separate registers of members of the Hawaiian royal family and Hawaiʻi politicians are also available.

• Fatherdamien.jpg

  Father Damien
  Beatified towards sainthood by Pope John Paul II

• Mother Marianne Cope.jpg

  Mother Marianne Cope
  Beatified towards sainthood by Pope Benedict XVI

• Fong.jpg

  Hiram Fong
  First Chinese American and Asian American elected United States Senator

• Georgeariyoshi.jpg

  George R. Ariyoshi
  First Japanese American and Asian American elected governor in the United States

• Eric Shinseki official portrait.jpg

  Eric Shinseki
  First Japanese American and Asian American member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

• DukeKahanamoku.jpeg

  Duke Kahanamoku
  Gold-medal winning Olympic athlete (swimming) who popularized surfing

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Schamel, Wynell and Charles E. Schamel. "The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaiʻi." Social Education 63, 7 (November/December 1999): 402-408.

See also

• Hawaiʻi Trivia
• Scouting in Hawaiʻi

• Lightmatter haleakala Maui Hawaii.jpg

  Haleakalā

• Kalalau Trail 2004-08-22.JPG

  Na Pali Coast

• 

  Satellite Image

External links

• Travel guide to Hawaii from Wikitravel
• Official state homepage
• Satellite image of Hawaiian Islands at NASA's Earth Observatory
• Google maps
• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Economic Data, including Hawaiʻi
• Economic History of Hawaiʻi
• Plants of Hawaiʻi
• Hawaiian Center for Volcanology (How Hawaiʻi was formed)
• Hawaii State Facts

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