Hawaii

Hawaii is an island state of the United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles southwest of the U.S. mainland. It is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, along with Alaska, and is the only state not on the North American mainland. Hawaii is also the only state that is an archipelago, meaning it is made up of many islands.

The state consists of 137 volcanic islands that form almost the entire Hawaiian archipelago. The eight main islands are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, with the last often called the "Big Island." Most people live on Oʻahu, where the capital city, Honolulu, is located.

Hawaii has a rich history, originally settled by Polynesians between 1000 and 1200 CE. It became an internationally recognized kingdom in 1810 but was later overthrown and annexed by the U.S. in 1898. Hawaii joined the United States as a state on August 21, 1959, becoming the most recent state to join the union. The state is known for its beautiful beaches, active volcanoes, and tropical climate, which attract many visitors. However, Hawaii faces challenges such as climate change, which brings threats like drought, sea level rise, and wildfire.

Etymology

The name "Hawaii" comes from its largest island, also called Hawaiʻi. Many believe the island was named after Hawaiʻiloa, a hero in old Hawaiian stories who is said to have found the islands when people first began living there.

The word Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian language sounds very much like an old Polynesian word *Sawaiki, which means "homeland". Similar words appear in other Polynesian languages, such as Māori (Hawaiki), Rarotongan (ʻAvaiki), and Samoan (Savaiʻi). Experts say that in other places, these words refer to the underworld or ancestral home, but in Hawaii, the name does not have a special meaning.

In 1978, Hawaiian became an official language of the state, along with English. The state’s constitution uses the spelling “Hawaii” without special marks because it was written before these marks were commonly used. However, many important state documents and groups, such as the Governor of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, and the University of Hawaiʻi, use the spelling Hawaiʻi with the special marks to honor the local language and culture.

Geography and environment

See also: List of islands of Hawaii

There are eight main Hawaiian islands. Seven are lived on, but only six are open to visitors and locals. Niʻihau is privately managed and access is restricted. This island is also home to native Hawaiians. Access to the uninhabited Kahoʻolawe island is also restricted.

The Hawaiian archipelago is 2,000 mi (3,200 km) southwest of the United States. Hawaii is the southernmost U.S. state and the only one not in North America, as it is in Oceania, and the only one completely surrounded by water and entirely an archipelago.

The Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanic activity. The process continues to build islands. The newest volcano is south of the coast of Hawaiʻi Island. The last volcanic eruption outside Hawaiʻi Island occurred at Haleakalā on Maui before the late 18th century.

Hawaiʻi has more endangered species and has lost a higher percentage of its native plants and animals than any other U.S. state. Some native plants now need help to reproduce because their natural pollinators are gone.

Hawaii has two national parks: Haleakalā National Park on Maui, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Hawaiʻi Island, which includes the active volcano Kīlauea. There are also several national historical parks and other protected areas.

Hawaiʻi has a tropical climate. Summer highs reach around 88 °F (31 °C) during the day, with lows of 75 °F (24 °C) at night. Winter day temperatures are usually around 83 °F (28 °C). Snow sometimes falls on the highest mountains in winter.

With climate change, Hawaiʻi is getting drier and hotter. The highest temperature recorded in the state is 100 °F (38 °C), and the lowest is 12 °F (−11 °C).

History

Main article: History of Hawaii

Hawaiʻi is one of two U.S. states, along with Texas, that were internationally recognized sovereign nations before becoming U.S. states. The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was sovereign from 1810 until 1893, when resident American and European capitalists and landholders overthrew the monarchy. Hawaiʻi was an independent republic from 1894 until August 12, 1898, when it officially became a U.S. territory. Hawaiʻi was admitted as a U.S. state on August 21, 1959.

First human settlement – Ancient Hawaiʻi (1000–1778)

Main article: Ancient Hawaii

The history of the Hawaiian Islands begins with early Polynesian explorers arriving from places like the Marquesas Islands or Tahiti. These early settlers built communities, grew food, and developed a rich culture with traditions, stories, and beliefs connected to the land and sea. Local leaders, called aliʻi, guided their people and sometimes worked together or competed with neighboring groups.

Kingdom of Hawaiʻi

In the late 1700s, a leader named Kamehameha united most of the islands and created the Hawaiian Kingdom. Over time, new leaders and outside influences changed the kingdom. Missionaries from other countries brought new ideas and religions, which blended with Hawaiian traditions. By the late 1800s, pressures from outside groups led to changes in the kingdom’s government and eventually its end.

Annexation – Territory of Hawaiʻi (1898–1959)

After becoming a U.S. territory, Hawaiʻi saw many changes. New people from around the world came to work on plantations, bringing their own cultures and traditions. In 1941, the islands were the site of a surprise military attack that led the United States into World War II.

Political changes of 1954 – State of Hawaiʻi (1959–present)

In 1959, Hawaiʻi became the 50th state of the United States. Since then, the islands have grown in population and importance, with a strong focus on preserving Hawaiian culture and traditions. The state continues to balance modern development with respect for its historic lands and heritage.

Demographics

See also: Hawaii statistical areas

After Europeans and mainland Americans first arrived during the Kingdom of Hawaii period, the overall population of Hawaii—which until that time composed solely of Indigenous Hawaiians—fell dramatically. Many people of the Indigenous Hawaiian population died to foreign diseases, declining from an estimated 300,000 in the 1770s, to 60,000 in the 1850s, to 24,000 in 1920. Other estimates for the pre-contact population range from 150,000 to 1.5 million. The population of Hawaii began to finally increase after an influx of primarily Asian settlers that arrived as migrant laborers at the end of the 19th century. In 1923, 42% of the population was of Japanese descent, 9% of Chinese descent, and 16% Native Hawaiian descent.

Hawaii's population has been declining steadily since 2020. The increasing cost of living and needing to import supplies is cited as the top reason for relocating to the U.S. mainland, followed by climate change, including more drought, wildfires, as well as rising seas. In 2010, 156,000 residents declared themselves to be solely of Native Hawaiian ancestry, just over half the estimated pre-contact population. An additional 371,000 declared themselves to possess Native Hawaiian ancestry in combination with one or more other races (including other Polynesian groups, but mostly Asian or White).

In 2018, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Hawaii to be 1,420,491, a decrease of 7,047 from the previous year but an increase of 60,190 (4.42%) since 2010. This includes a natural increase of 48,111 (96,028 births minus 47,917 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 16,956 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 30,068; migration within the country produced a net loss of 13,112 people.^{[needs update]}

The center of population of Hawaii is located on the island of Oʻahu. Large numbers of Native Hawaiians have moved to Las Vegas, which has been called the "ninth island" of Hawaii.

Hawaii has a de facto population of over 1.4 million, due in part to a large number of military personnel and tourist residents. Oʻahu is the most populous island, and has the highest population density with a resident population of just under one million in 597 square miles (1,546 km²), approximately 1,650 people per square mile. Hawaii's 1.4 million residents, spread across 6,000 square miles (15,500 km²) of land, result in an average population density of 188.6 persons per square mile. The state has a lower population density than Ohio and Illinois.

The average projected lifespan of people born in Hawaii in 2000 is 79.8 years; 77.1 years if male, 82.5 if female—longer than the average lifespan of any other U.S. state. As of 2011^[update] the U.S. military reported it had 42,371 personnel on the islands.

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 5,967 homeless people in Hawaii.

In 2018, the top countries of origin for immigrants in Hawaii were the Philippines, China, Japan, Korea, and the Marshall Islands.

Ancestry

Further information: Native Hawaiians, White Americans in Hawaii, Filipinos in Hawaii, and Japanese in Hawaii

According to the 2020 United States Census, Hawaii had a population of 1,455,271. The state's population identified as 37.2% Asian; 25.3% Multiracial; 22.9% White; 10.8% Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; 9.5% Hispanic and Latinos of any race; 1.6% Black or African American; 1.8% from some other race; and 0.3% Native American and Alaskan Native.

Hawaii has the highest percentage of Asian Americans and multiracial Americans and the lowest percentage of White Americans of any state. It is the only state where people who identify as Asian Americans are the largest ethnic group. In 2012, 14.5% of the resident population under age 1 was non-Hispanic white. Hawaii's Asian population consists mainly of 198,000 (14.6%) Filipino Americans, 185,000 (13.6%) Japanese Americans, roughly 55,000 (4.0%) Chinese Americans, and 24,000 (1.8%) Korean Americans.

Over 120,000 (8.8%) Hispanic and Latino Americans live in Hawaii. Mexican Americans number over 35,000 (2.6%); Puerto Ricans exceed 44,000 (3.2%). Multiracial Americans constitute almost 25% of Hawaii's population, exceeding 320,000 people. Hawaii is the only state to have a tri-racial group as its largest multiracial group, one that includes white, Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (22% of all multiracial population). The non-Hispanic White population numbers around 310,000—just over 20% of the population. The multi-racial population outnumbers the non-Hispanic white population by about 10,000 people. In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Hawaii's population was 38.8% white and 57.7% Asian and Pacific Islander.

There are more than 80,000 Indigenous Hawaiians—5.9% of the population. Including those with partial ancestry, Samoan Americans constitute 2.8% of Hawaii's population, and Tongan Americans constitute 0.6%.

The five largest European ancestries in Hawaii are German (7.4%), Irish (5.2%), English (4.6%), Portuguese (4.3%) and Italian (2.7%). About 82.2% of the state's residents were born in the United States. Roughly 75% of foreign-born residents originate from Asia. Hawaii is a majority-minority state. It was expected to be one of three states that would not have a non-Hispanic white plurality in 2014; the other two are California and New Mexico.

The third group of foreigners to arrive in Hawaii were from China. Chinese workers on Western trading ships settled in Hawaii starting in 1789. In 1820, the first American missionaries arrived to preach Christianity and teach the Hawaiians Western ways. As of 2015^[update], a large proportion of Hawaii's population have Asian ancestry—especially Filipino, Japanese and Chinese. Many are descendants of immigrants brought to work on the sugarcane plantations in the mid-to-late 19th century. The first 153 Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaii on June 19, 1868. They were not approved by the then-current Japanese government because the contract was between a broker and the Tokugawa shogunate—by then replaced by the Meiji Restoration. The first Japanese current-government-approved immigrants arrived on February 9, 1885, after Kalākaua's petition to Emperor Meiji when Kalākaua visited Japan in 1881.

Almost 13,000 Portuguese migrants had arrived by 1899; they also worked on the sugarcane plantations. By 1901, more than 5,000 Puerto Ricans were living in Hawaii.

Languages

English and Hawaiian are listed as Hawaii's official languages in the state's 1978 constitution, in Article XV, Section 4. However, the use of Hawaiian is limited because the constitution specifies that "Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law". Hawaiʻi Creole English, locally referred to as "Pidgin", is the native language of many native residents and is a second language for many others.

The 2000 Census found that 73.4% of Hawaii residents age 5 and older exclusively spoke English at home. According to the 2008 American Community Survey, 74.6% of Hawaii's residents older than 5 spoke only English at home. In their homes, 21.0% of state residents speak an additional Asian language, 2.6% speak Spanish, 1.6% speak other Indo-European languages and 0.2% speak another language.

After English, other languages popularly spoken in the state are Tagalog, Ilocano, and Japanese. 5.4% of residents speak Tagalog, which includes non-native speakers of Filipino, a Tagalog-based national and co-official language of the Philippines; 5.0% speak Japanese and 4.0% speak Ilocano; 1.2% speak Chinese, 1.7% speak Hawaiian; 1.7% speak Spanish; 1.6% speak Korean; and 1.0% speak Samoan.

Hawaiian

The Hawaiian language has about 2,000 native speakers, about 0.15% of the total population. According to the United States Census, there were more than 24,000 total speakers of the language in Hawaii in 2006–2008. Hawaiian is a Polynesian member of the Austronesian language family. It is closely related to other Polynesian languages, such as Marquesan, Tahitian, Māori, Rapa Nui (the language of Easter Island), and less closely to Samoan and Tongan.

According to Schütz, the Marquesans colonized the archipelago in roughly 300 CE and were later followed by waves of seafarers from the Society Islands, Samoa and Tonga. These Polynesians remained in the islands; they eventually became the Hawaiian people and their languages evolved into the Hawaiian language. Kimura and Wilson say: "[l]inguists agree that Hawaiian is closely related to Eastern Polynesian, with a particularly strong link in the Southern Marquesas, and a secondary link in Tahiti, which may be explained by voyaging between the Hawaiian and Society Islands".

Before the arrival of Captain James Cook, the Hawaiian language had no written form. That form was developed mainly by American Protestant missionaries between 1820 and 1826 who assigned to the Hawaiian phonemes letters from the Latin alphabet. Interest in Hawaiian increased significantly in the late 20th century. With the help of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, specially designated immersion schools in which all subjects would be taught in Hawaiian were established. The University of Hawaiʻi developed a Hawaiian-language graduate studies program. Municipal codes were altered to favor Hawaiian place and street names for new civic developments.

Hawaiian distinguishes between long and short vowel sounds. In modern practice, vowel length is indicated with a macron (kahakō). Hawaiian-language newspapers (nūpepa) published from 1834 to 1948 and traditional native speakers of Hawaiian generally omit the marks in their own writing. The ʻokina and kahakō are intended to capture the proper pronunciation of Hawaiian words. The Hawaiian language uses the glottal stop (ʻOkina) as a consonant. It is written as a symbol similar to the apostrophe or left-hanging (opening) single quotation mark.

The keyboard layout used for Hawaiian is QWERTY.

Hawaiian Pidgin

Hawaiian Pidgin, officially known as Hawaiʻi Creole English (HCE), is a creole language that emerged in Hawaiʻi during the 19th century as a means of communication among diverse groups working on sugarcane plantations. Its lexicon is primarily derived from English, with significant contributions from Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Ilocano, and Tagalog.

The development of Hawaiian Pidgin began with Pidgin Hawaiian, an earlier pidgin that formed in the 1790s during initial contact between Native Hawaiians and foreigners. As plantation laborers from various countries arrived, a new pidgin based on English evolved to facilitate communication among workers and supervisors.

By the early 20th century, children of these plantation workers began acquiring Hawaiian Pidgin as their first language, leading to its creolization. This transition marked the emergence of HCE as a fully developed creole language.

HCE incorporates Hawaiian words, especially in place names and terms for local flora and fauna. For instance, the Hawaiian term for tuna, "ahi," is commonly used in HCE. Additionally, certain English words have adapted meanings; "aunty" and "uncle" are used to address any respected elder, regardless of familial relation.

Some expressions from HCE have permeated other communities, particularly through surfing culture. Terms like "brah" (brother) and "da kine" (a versatile placeholder term) have gained recognition beyond Hawaiʻi.

In 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau recognized Hawaiian Pidgin as an official language in Hawaiʻi, reflecting its widespread use among residents. Despite this recognition, debates continue about its role in education and its impact on learning Standard English.

Hawaiʻi Sign Language

Hawaiʻi Sign Language, a sign language for the Deaf based on the Hawaiian language, has been in use in the islands since the early 1800s. It is dwindling in numbers due to American Sign Language supplanting HSL through schooling and various other domains.

Religion

See also: Kapu (Hawaiian culture), List of figures in the Hawaiian religion, and List of missionaries to Hawaii

Christianity remains the majority religion, represented mainly by various Protestant groups and Catholicism. The second-largest religion is Buddhism, which comprises a larger proportion of the population than in any other state; it is concentrated in the Japanese community. Native Hawaiians continue to engage in traditional religious and spiritual practices today, often adhering to Christian and traditional beliefs at the same time.^[PROT200] the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 68,128 adherents in 2009;^[PROT201] the United Church of Christ with 115 congregations and 20,000 members; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 108 congregations and 18,000 members.^[PROT202] Nondenominational churches collectively have 128 congregations and 32,000 members.

According to data provided by religious establishments, religion in Hawaii in 2000 was distributed as follows:^{[PROT203][PROT204]}

However, a Pew poll found that the religious composition was as follows:

Birth data

Note: Births in this table do not add up, because Hispanic peoples are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

1. Until 2016, data for births of Asian origin, included also births of the Pacific Islander group.

2. Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Percentage surviving

Main article: List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy § Data of the United States Mortality DataBase

The percentage surviving, is the percent of the population that would survive to certain age, if their life conditions in a given year, were extrapolated to their whole life. Data for 2019.

Data source: US Mortality DataBase.

LGBTQ people

See also: LGBTQ rights in Hawaii

Hawaii has had a long history of LGBTQIA+ identities. Māhū ("in the middle") were a precolonial third gender with traditional spiritual and social roles, widely respected as healers. Homosexual relationships known as aikāne were widespread and normal in ancient Hawaiian society. Among men, aikāne relationships often began as teens and continued throughout their adult lives, even if they also maintained heterosexual partners. While aikāne usually refers to male homosexuality, some stories also refer to women, implying that women may have been involved in aikāne relationships as well. Journals written by Captain Cook's crew record that many aliʻi (hereditary nobles) also engaged in aikāne relationships, and Kamehameha the Great, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was also known to participate. Cook's second lieutenant and co-astronomer James King observed that "all the chiefs had them", and recounts that Cook was actually asked by one chief to leave King behind, considering the role a great honor.

Hawaiian scholar Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa notes that aikāne served a practical purpose of building mutual trust and cohesion; "If you didn't sleep with a man, how could you trust him when you went into battle? How would you know if he was going to be the warrior that would protect you at all costs, if he wasn't your lover?"

As Western colonial influences intensified in the late 19th and early 20th century, the word aikāne was expurgated of its original sexual meaning, and in print simply meant "friend". Nonetheless, in Hawaiian language publications its metaphorical meaning can still mean either "friend" or "lover" without stigmatization.

A 2012 Gallup poll found that Hawaii had the largest proportion of LGBTQIA+ adults in the U.S., at 5.1%, an estimated 53,966 individuals. The number of same-sex couple households in 2010 was 3,239, representing a 35.5% increase from a decade earlier. In 2013, Hawaii became the fifteenth U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage; this reportedly boosted tourism by $217 million.

Economy

See also: Agriculture in Hawaii, Sugar plantations in Hawaii, Big Five (Hawaii), and Plantation economy

The history of Hawaii's economy is linked to many important industries. In the past, items like sandalwood and whaling were key, but later, sugarcane and pineapple became very important. By the 1840s, sugar plantations were very strong because there was a lot of demand for sugar in the United States, and steamships made it easier to transport goods quickly. American families and businessmen, known as "the Big Five", controlled most of the sugar business and made a lot of money from it. When Hawaii was thinking about joining the United States in 1898, farmers started growing tropical fruits like pineapple, which became a major export.

Today, tourism is the biggest part of Hawaii's economy. Since Hawaii became a state in 1959, tourism has grown a lot and helps the economy strongly. In 2025, Hawaii's total economy was worth $124.6 billion. Other important parts of the economy include farming, with products like coffee, macadamia nuts, and honey, and the military, which also spends a lot of money in the state.

The cost of living in Hawaii is quite high. For example, electricity prices are much higher than in most other places in the United States. Homes in Hawaii also cost more to buy than in many other states. This high cost is because shipping goods to Hawaii is expensive, and there are fewer large stores and businesses here compared to places on the U.S. mainland. Many things in Hawaii cost more because they have to be shipped over long distances.

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Native Hawaiians

The culture of Hawaii comes from the Polynesians who lived there long ago. It is the farthest north in the big area called the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. Today, many traditions and ceremonies are still celebrated on the islands. Some customs, like the lūʻau and the dance called hula, are well-known even in other parts of the United States.

Main article: Cuisine of Hawaii

The food in Hawaii is a mix of many different kinds of foods brought by people from many places. Early Polynesians, Native Hawaiians, and people from places like China, Japan, Korea, and Portugal all added their own dishes. One traditional food is poi, made from a plant called taro. Local restaurants often serve a plate lunch with rice, a special salad, and different main dishes like hamburger patties or loco moco. Spam musubi shows how foods from different cultures mixed together in Hawaii.

Main article: Customs and etiquette in Hawaii

In Hawaii, it is polite to bring a small gift, like dessert, when visiting someone's home. People usually take off their shoes before going inside. Families often celebrate a child's first birthday with a party called a luau^{[clarification needed]}. At weddings, especially Filipino weddings, the couple often does a fun dance called the money dance or pandanggo. People who are not from Hawaiian families are called "locals of Hawaii" or "people of Hawaii."

Hawaiian stories and legends are part of the mythology from ancient times. These tales are related to stories from other Polynesian cultures but have their own special style. Important figures in these stories include Aumakua, spirits of ancestors, and Kāne, one of the main gods.

Main article: Polynesian mythology

Polynesian mythology includes the stories and traditions of people from many islands in the Pacific Ocean. These stories talk about old times and adventures of gods and important ancestors. The languages and cultures of these people share many similarities.

Main article: List of Hawaiian state parks

Hawaii has many beautiful state parks where people can go to explore and enjoy nature. Each island has its own special places to visit.

Main article: Literature in Hawaii

Hawaii has many writers who tell stories in different ways. Some well-known writers from Hawaii include Kiana Davenport, Lois-Ann Yamanaka, and Kaui Hart Hemmings. There are also magazines like Hana Hou! and Hawaii Business.

Main article: Music of Hawaii

Music in Hawaii includes both old and new styles. Traditional music often has singing and dancing, while today there is also rock and hip hop. One special style is slack-key guitar, and Hawaiian music has influenced movies and even country music with the steel guitar. A famous musician from Hawaii is Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, known for singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World."

Because Hawaii is far from the rest of the United States, most sports teams there are for young people, college students, or amateur players. There have been some professional teams in the past. College sports events like the Maui Invitational Tournament and Hawaii Bowl are popular. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine is the only college team in the top level of college sports in Hawaii.

Surfing is very important in Hawaiian culture and has been for many years. Hawaii is famous for surfing and holds big competitions like the Triple Crown of Surfing. The islands have also produced great swimmers, such as Duke Kahanamoku.

Hawaii has hosted many big sports events, like golf tournaments, marathons, and triathlons. It has also been a place where many good fighters began their careers.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Hawaii

Tourism is very important to Hawaii. In 2019, over 10 million visitors came to the islands, bringing in almost $18 billion. This helped create many jobs and brought in tax money for the state. People love to visit Hawaii because the weather is nice all year.

Tourism can also bring challenges. Sometimes, it can hurt the environment and make life harder for local people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism stopped, and nature had a chance to recover. Some local people have asked visitors to be more careful and respectful when they come to Hawaii. The islands host fun events like the Merrie Monarch Festival, a big hula competition, and film festivals.

Health

Hawaii has a health care system that helps most people stay healthy. By 2009, about 92% of people living there had health insurance. Businesses must give insurance to workers who put in more than twenty hours each week. Rules keep insurance prices fair for employers. Because the system focuses on preventing illness, Hawaiians spend less on health care compared to the size of their economy. Some people in the United States look to Hawaii as an example when talking about better health care for everyone.

Education

See also: List of elementary schools in Hawaii, List of middle schools in Hawaii, and List of high schools in Hawaii

Hawaii has one school system for the whole state. A group of 14 people called the Board of Education makes the rules and hires the leader of the schools, called the superintendent. The schools are split into seven districts, with four on the island of Oʻahu and one for each of the other three islands.

Students in Hawaii take tests to see how well they are learning. Sometimes, the results are not as good as in other parts of the United States. But when students get ready for college, they often do well on one test called the ACT.

See also: List of colleges and universities in Hawaii

The biggest place for college students in Hawaii is the University of Hawaiʻi System. It has a big school on the island of Mānoa, two more schools on Hilo and West Oʻahu, and seven smaller colleges. There are also private colleges, like Brigham Young University–Hawaii, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific University, and Wayland Baptist University. There is also a school for training priests called Saint Stephen Diocesan Center.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Hawaii

See also: Hawaii Department of Transportation, List of airports in Hawaii, and Aviation in Hawaii

Hawaii has roads around each main island, but only Oʻahu has big highways. The roads can be narrow and twisty, and busy places might have a lot of traffic. Each big island has buses that people can ride.

The main airport is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. It offers flights to many places in North America, Asia, Australia, and Oceania. Airlines like Hawaiian Airlines and Mokulele Airlines fly between the big airports on the islands.

In the past, people used boats to travel between the islands. There was a ferry service called the Hawaii Superferry, but it stopped because of problems. Today, there are ferry services in Maui County and cruise ships that visit the bigger islands.

Rail

Hawaii used to have many railroads, but most of them are gone now. There is a new elevated train called Skyline in Honolulu that started in 2023 to help with traffic. More parts of it will open in the future.

Governance

The Hawaiian royal family moved from Hawaiʻi Island to Maui, and then to Oʻahu. This movement helped shape where people live today. Kamehameha III chose Honolulu as the capital because of its natural harbor, Honolulu Harbor. Honolulu is now the state capital, found along the southeast coast of Oʻahu. Before that, capitals were Lahaina on Maui and Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi.

Hawaii has five counties: the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi County, Maui County, Kauaʻi County, and Kalawao County. Unlike many states, Hawaii does not have many local governments. Most are run at the county level. The only area with both a city and a county is Honolulu County, which covers the whole island of Oʻahu. Each county has a mayor who is elected by voters.

Hawaii’s state government has three parts, just like the federal government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The governor leads the executive branch, helped by the lieutenant governor. The Hawaii State Legislature has two houses: the Hawaii House of Representatives and the Hawaii Senate. The state’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Hawaii.

Hawaii has two senators and two representatives in the United States Congress. Currently, all are members of the Democratic Party. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono serve as senators, while Ed Case and Jill Tokuda are the representatives.

Hawaii generally supports Democratic candidates in elections. The state has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1970. Law enforcement in Hawaii includes a statewide sheriff department and police departments for each county.

Main article: Politics of Hawaii

See also: Political party strength in Hawaii and United States presidential elections in Hawaii

Hawaiian sovereignty movement

Some people in Hawaii believe that the way Hawaii became a part of the United States was not fair. They think Hawaii should have the right to decide its own future, either as an independent country or with special rights for people of native Hawaiian ancestry. These ideas have been discussed in schools and universities for many years.

Groups supporting these ideas have been active since the late 1800s. They often point to events from 1893, when the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown, and later when Hawaii was annexed by the United States. Some believe these actions were wrong and that Hawaii deserves more self-governance or even full independence.

International sister relationships

Hawaii has many friends around the world. These places are called sister relationships, meaning they work together and share ideas. Some of these friends include places in Japan like Ehime, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Okinawa, and Yamaguchi. Other friends are in China, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Morocco, Portugal, Indonesia, and India. These relationships started at different times, beginning as early as 1981 and continuing to today.