Portal:Hawaii

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The Hawaii Portal

Hawaii (Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi) became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959. It is situated in the North Pacific Ocean, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) from the mainland, at 21°18′41″N, 157°47′47″W. In the 19th Century, Hawaii was also known as the Sandwich Islands.

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The Hawaiian Archipelago comprises eight islands and atolls extending across a distance of 1,500 miles (2,400 km). 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, Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui , and Hawaiʻi. The latter is by far the largest, and is very often called the "Big Island" or "Big Isle". The use of that alternative name is often motivated by a desire to avoid ambiguity with "Hawaii" meaning the entire state (all of the islands), as opposed to only that one island. Show new selections edit

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Oahu

Satellite photo of Oʻahu

Oʻahu, the "Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in Hawaiʻi. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast. Including small close-in offshore islands such as Ford Island and the islands in Kaneohe Bay and off the eastern coast, it has a total land area of 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km²), making it the 20th largest island in the United States. The island is the result of two separate shield volcanoes: Waiʻanae and Koʻolau, with a broad "valley" or saddle (the central Oʻahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Mt. Kaʻala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level.

Ancient Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a son. For the full article, click here.

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A turtle, honu at Hanauma Bay. edit

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Senator Daniel K. Inouye

Daniel Ken Inouye (born September 7, 1924) is a recipient of the Medal of Honor and currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Hawaii. He has been a senator for over forty years (since 1963), a distinction which few senators have achieved, and is currently the third most senior member, after fellow Democrats Robert Byrd and, Ted Kennedy. He was Hawaii's first Representative after it became a state. He was also the first American of Japanese descent to serve in the United States House of Representatives and later the first in the Senate. He is a member of the Democratic Party and has continuously represented Hawaii in the United States Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959. For the full article, click here.

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State Facts

Nickname: The Aloha State
Capital and largest city: Honolulu
Governor: Linda Lingle (R)
Total area: 29,311 km²
Population (2000 census): 1,211,537
Date admitted to the Union: August 21, 1959
Form of Government: Republican
Senators: Daniel Inouye (D), Daniel Akaka (D)
Representatives: Neil Abercrombie (D), Mazie Hirono (D)

State Symbols:

Animal: Humpback Whale
Bird: Nēnē (Branta sandvicensis)
Fish: Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa (Reef Triggerfish)
Flower: Yellow Hibiscus
Soil: Hilo
Tree: Kukui (Aleurites Moluccana)
Gem: Black Coral
Motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono
Song: Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī

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Hawaii News

Wikinews Hawaii portal

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'Ōlelo (Language)

This section is here to highlight some of the most common words of the Hawaiian Language, ʻŌlelo, that are used in everyday conversation amongst locals.

Mahalo

Thanks

A common usage:

Mahalo nui loa, Thanks very much

Note: It is often misconstrued among malihini that mahalo means rubbish/trash because most rubbish cans have the word mahalo on them.

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