Hawaii

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Hawaii is the 50th and most recentU.S. stateto join theUnited States, having gained admission to the United States onAugust 21, 1959. Hawaii is the only U.S. state located inOceania and the only one made up entirely of islands. It is the northern most island group inPolynesia, occupying most of anarchipelagoin the centralPacific Ocean.

Hawaii's diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches, oceanic surroundings, and activevolcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its central location in the Pacific as well as labor migration in the 19thcentury, Hawaii is strongly influenced by North American and Asian cultures in addition to its own indigenous Hawaiianculture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents, along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital isHonoluluon the island ofOahu.

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu

Hawaii is the only U.S. state not located in theAmericasand the only state with anAsianplurality. Hawaii andArizonaare the only two states that do not observedaylight saving time. Hawaii and Alaska are also the only two states that are not in thecontiguous United States.The state of Hawaii has two official languages recognized in its 1978 constitution:English(General American) and Hawaiian. Article XV, Section 4 specifies that "Hawaiian shall be required for public acts and transactions only as provided by law."Hawaii Creole English(locally referred to asPidgin) is the native language of many born-and-raised residents and is a second language for many other residents.

ReligionThe largest denominations by number of adherents were the Catholic Church with 249,619 adherents in 2010and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 68,128 adherents in 2009.The third-largest religious group includes all non-denominational churches with 128 congregations and 32,000 members. The third-largest denominational group is theUnited Church of Christwith 115 congregations and 20,000 members. The Southern Baptist Convention has 108 congregations and 18,000 members in Hawaii.

CultureTheaboriginalculture of Hawaii isPolynesian. Hawaii represents the northernmost extension of the vastPolynesian Triangleof the south and central Pacific Ocean. While traditional Hawaiian culture remains only as vestiges in modern Hawaiian society, there are reenactments of the ceremonies and traditions throughout the islands. Some of these cultural influences are strong enough to affect the United States at large, including the popularity (in greatly modified form) oflauandhula.

Hula and lau

Cuisine of Hawaii TheCuisine of Hawaiiis a fusion of many foods brought by immigrants to theHawaiian Islandsincluding the earliest Polynesians and Native Hawaiian cuisineas well asAmerican,Chinese,Filipino,Japanese,Korean,PolynesianandPortugueseorigins, including plant and animal food sources imported from around the world foragriculturaluse in Hawaii.Poi, a starch made by poundingtaro, is one of the traditional foods of the islands.

Hawaiian mythology Prominent figures and terms includeAumakua, the spirit of an ancestor or family god andKne, the highest of the four major Hawaiian deities.Hawaiian mythologycomprises the legends, historical tales, and sayings of theancient Hawaiianpeople. It is considered a variant of a more generalPolynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with theHawaiian religion. The religion was officially suppressed in the 19th century, but kept alive by some practitioners to the modern day.

Literature in HawaiiTheliterature in Hawaiiis diverse and includes authors such asKiana Davenport,Lois-Ann Yamanaka, andKaui Hart Hemmings, author ofThe Descendants. Hawaiian magazines includeHana Hou!,Hawaii Business MagazineandHonolulu, among others.

Music of HawaiiThemusic of Hawaiiincludes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modernrockandhip hop.Traditional Hawaiian folk music is a major part of the state's musical heritage. TheHawaiian peoplehave inhabited the islands for centuries and have retained much of their traditional musical knowledge. Their music is largely religious in nature, and includeschantinganddance music. Hawaiian music has had an enormous impact on themusic of other Polynesian islands; indeed, music author Peter Manuel called the influence of Hawaiian music a "unifying factor in the development of modern Pacific musics".

TourismTourismis an important part of the Hawaiian economy. In 2003 alone, according to state government data, there were over 6.4 million visitors to the Hawaiian Islands with expenditures of over $10 billion.Due to the mild year-round weather, tourist travel is popular throughout the year. The summer months and major holidays are the most popular times for outsiders to visit, however, especially when residents of the rest of the United States are looking to escape from cold, winter weather. The Japanese, with their economic and historical ties to Hawaii and the USA as well as relative geographical proximity, are also principal tourists. Hawaii is home to numerous cultural events. The annualMerrie Monarch Festivalis an international Hula competition. The state is also home to theHawaii International Film Festival, the premier film festival for Pacific rim cinema. Honoluluis also home to the state's long runningLGBTfilm festival, theRainbow Film Festival.

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