Hawaii is the most remote inhabited place on Earth: the islands are 3,850 km from the state of California (USA), 6,195 km from Japan and 7,885 km from China.
The state of Hawaii consists of eight large, inhabited islands (apart from Kahoolave Island, which is uninhabited) and 124 small, uninhabited islands, reefs and atolls, from Nihoa Island to Kure Atoll.
The Hawaiian archipelago stretches for 2,451 km, making Hawaii the longest island chain on Earth.
The highest temperature in Hawaii at 37.8 C was recorded in Pahala on April 27, 1931, and the lowest (-11.1 C) was recorded on Mauna Kea on May 17, 1979 (the lowest temperature at an altitude of less than 914 m was 13.3 C). Among 49 US states (excluding Alaska), Hawaii had the highest (37.8 C) and lowest (-11.1 C) temperatures in the country (Alaska also recorded a temperature of 37.8 C). The average daily temperature in Hawaii rises to 27.7 C in July and only 22.2 C in January.
Hawaii became the fiftieth state to become part of the United States on August 20, 1959.
In 1959, Hawaii was given the official nickname “Aloha State” (State of Hospitality).
Hawaii is the widest U.S. state when measured from east to west.
Hawaii has the highest population density of any state in the United States.
Hawaii is the only state where coffee is grown. Coffee plantations here occupy a total area of 2,510 hectares. In 2003, more than 8.5 million pounds of coffee were produced.
Sugar is mainly produced on the islands of Maui and Kauai, where plantations cover a total of 28,330 hectares. In 2002, 340,000 tons of unrefined sugar were produced. It takes a ton of water to make a pound of sugar.
More than 320,000 tons of pineapples are grown in Hawaii every year.
Hawaii politician Hiram Fong, a descendant of Chinese immigrants, became the first Asian-American in the US Senate. He was elected to this post in 1959.
According to the 2000 census, 20% of the Hawaiian population is of mixed descent – far more than any other state in the United States.
Hawaii has its own time zone, Hawaiian Standard Time (HST). There is no Daylight Saving Time, which means Hawaii is two hours behind US West Coast in summer and three hours behind in winter.
Hawaii has 4 counties: Honolulu City and County, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii (Big Island).
The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only 12 letters: 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and 7 consonants (H, K, L, M, N, P, W).
Hawaii is the only state whose territory is constantly expanding (due to volcanic eruptions).
Hawaii is the only US state where white people are in the minority.
Hawaii has the highest percentage of working women of any state in the United States (over 63% in 2003).
