Hawaii

Hawaii is the only state of United States that is made up of only islands. It is also the newest state of the Union of United States. The state of Hawaii occupies most of the archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. It is located southwest of Japan and Northeast of Australia. The warm tropical climate, abundance of beaches, oceanic surroundings and beauty attract many tourists every year.

Since the state is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean it tends to have American and Asian influences. However, the state has evolved a culture that can be termed as Hawaiian. The capital of the state is Honolulu which is located in the island of O’ahu. The state also encompasses almost all of the Hawaiian Island Chain volcanoes. 

State Nickname

The official nickname of the state is said to be “The Aloha State”. It is also called the “Paradise of the Pacific” given the natural beauty that the islands have. Other nicknames of the state of Hawaii include “The Pineapple State” and “The Youngest State”, but the Aloha state has been accepted officially as the nickname.

Climate Summary

The Hawaiian climate is a typical tropical climate but temperatures are a little less extreme as seen commonly in other tropical areas around the world. This is mainly due to the trade winds that come from the east. The ocean plays a significant part in the climate of the state and the ocean winds are critical too. 

State Tax Situation 

The state of Hawaii has a relatively high level of tax burden. The per capita tax of the state is said to be the highest across all states of United States. This is mainly because healthcare, education and social services are all taken care of by the state government directly.

Government Summary

Modeled on the basis of the federal government, Hawaii also has a judiciary, a legislative and an executive. The executive is led by a Governor of the state and also has a Lieutenant Governor to assist him. The state does not have municipal governments, something that is typical to the state.

State Seal

The seal of Hawaii has an image of King Kamehameha I dressed royally and holding a staff. There is also the classic rendition of Liberty holding the flag of Hawaii. These two are on each side of the heraldic shield. There is also a Phoenix that is shown arising from the foliage.

Motto & Description 

‘Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono’ has been the motto of the state of Hawaii for over 160 years. These are said to be the words of King Kamehameha III who was the ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The motto was adopted by the state as the official motto when the territory received statehood.

State Flag

The flag of Hawaii symbolizes that the state is a part of the United States. The canton of the flag has the Union Flag of the United Kingdom and there are eight horizontal stripes that symbolize the 8 islands of the state. The horizontal stripes are white, red and blue in color. 

State Bird

The nene goose is the official state bird of Hawaii. Also called the Hawaiian goose, is struggling against extinction today. A land bird, the nene goose has adapted to the harsh conditions of the lava country by transforming the webbed feet into a claw like shape. But these adaptations do not seem to be working against the hunters that have almost made the bird extinct.

State Flower

The Hawaii state flower is the Pua Aloalo, also called the Hibiscus brackenridgei. This flower was adopted as the state flower in the early 1920’s and this was one of the first symbols of the state to be adopted when Hawaii became an official state of America. In 1988, the yellow hibiscus was designated the official flower specifically.

State Animal

Hawaii has 2 state animals. The state mammal is the Hawaiian Monk seal and the state marine mammal is the humpback whale. While the original state animal was the whale, the Hawaiian monk seal was adopted as the official animal in 2008 as the whale was termed as the official marine mammal.

State Song And Description

“Hawai`i Pono`I”, written by King David Kalakaua is the state song of the island state of Hawaii. It is a song that calls upon people to be loyal to the chief of the islands. It also refers to the Kings of the Kingdom of Hawaii that ruled the territory years ago.

State Colors

The official color of Hawaii is red. Separate islands of the island state also have their own colors – pink for Maui, golden yellow for O’ahu, purple for Kaua`I, green for Moloka`I, orange for L~ na`I, white for Kaho`olawe and gray for Ni`ihau. All these official colors were adopted in the year 2000.