Hawaii: The Aloha State

Hawaii: The Aloha State — page 1
INTRODUCTION Consisting of a group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean is Hawaii the 50th state in the Union It is unique among the states in that it is the only one made up entirely of islands It is also the only state in which the majority of the population does not trace its heritage back to Europe Hawaii has been nicknamed the Aloha State Aloha is a Hawaiian word with many meanings among them welcome love hello and goodbye The word aloha reveals the warm and welcoming nature of the Hawaiian people Visitors from around the world come to Hawaii to enjoy its tropical paradise Hawaii lies almost entirely in the tropics Separated from the U S mainland by the world’s biggest ocean the Pacific Hawaii is the only state that does not fall within the continent of North America It holds a strategic position in the defense of the United States Pearl Harbor a vast shipyard for the repair and overhaul of U S fleet units is the home port for many U S naval ships It serves as a training base for submarine and antisubmarine-warfare forces Many hotels and resorts line Hawaii’s beaches 4 HAWAI I Hawaiian dancers are one of Hawaii’s tourist attractions QUICK FACTS Hawaii was the last state to enter the Union Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii It is on the island of Oahu The state bird is the nene or Hawaiian goose The nene nearly became extinct but it was rescued by conservationists Hawaii’s state flower is the yellow hibiscus The state tree is the kukui tree It is also known as the candlenut Hawaii’s state song is Hawaii Ponoi Hawaii’s Own