Hawaii
|
'''Hawaii''' (Hawaiian language|Hawaiian/Hawaiian English: '''Hawaii''', with the ''Okina|{{okina}}okina''; also, historically, the '''Sandwich Islands''') is the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Admitted on August 21, 1959, Hawaii constitutes the 50th U.S. states|state of the United States and is situated 2500 miles from the mainland. It is the Extreme points of the United States|southernmost part of that country. As of the United States 2000 Census|2000 U.S. Census it had a population of 1,211,537 people. Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu is the largest city and the state capital.
Hawaiis the most recently admitted state of the United States. In addition to possessing the southernmost point in the United States, it is the only state that lies completely in the tropics. As one of two states outside the continental United States|contiguous United States (the other being Alaska), it is the only state without territory on the mainland of any continent and it is the only state that continues to grow due to active lava flows, most notably from Kilauea|Kīlauea. Ethnically, Hawaii is the only state that has a majority group that is non-white (and one of only four in which non-Hispanic whites do not form a majority) and has the largest percentage of Asian Americans. For various reasons, Hawaii is considered the endangered species capital of the United States.
Symbols
The state constitution and various other measures of the Hawaii State Legislature established official symbols meant to embody the distinctive culture and heritage of Hawaii. These include a state bird, state fish, state flower, state gem, state mammal, state tree and the state muffin, though only a few other states share this symbol, like Washington. Included are the two statues representing Hawaii in the United States Capitol.
The primary symbol is the state flag, ''Flag of Hawaii|Ka Hae Hawai{{okina}}i'', influenced by the British Union Flag and features eight horizontal stripes representing the eight major Hawaiian Islands. The constitution declares the state motto to be ''Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Āina i ka Pono'', a pronouncement of King Kamehameha III meaning, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." It was also the motto of the kingdom, republic and territory. The official languages are Hawaiian language|Hawaiian and Hawaiian English. Hawaiian Pidgin is an unofficial language. The state song is ''Hawai'i pono'i|Hawai{{okina}}i pono{{okina}}i'', written by Kalakaua|King Kalākaua and composed by Henri Berger. ''Hawaii Aloha|Hawai{{okina}}i Aloha'' is the unofficial state song, often sung in official state event.
Image:Nene.neck.arp.600pix.jpg|Hawaiian Goose
''Nēnē''
State Bird
Image:Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.jpg|Reef Triggerfish
''Humuhumunukunukuāpua'a''
State Fish
Image:Maohauhele.jpg|Hawaiian hibiscus|Hawaiian Hibiscus
''Mao hau hele''
State Flower
Image:Aleuritesmoluccana1web.jpg|Candlenut
''Kukui''
State Tree
Image:Humpback Whale underwater shot.jpg|Humpback Whale
''Koholā kuapio''
State Mammal
Image:Fatherdamienstatue2.jpg|Father Damien Statue
State Capitol
Image:Kamehamehastatue.jpg|Kamehameha Statue
Aliiolani Hale - State Supreme Court
Geography
''Main article: Hawaiian Islands''
Nineteen islands and atolls extending across a distance of 2,400 km (1,500 mi) comprise the Hawaiian Archipelago. The main islands are the eight high islands at the southeastern end of the island chain. These islands are, in order from the northwest to southeast, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii.
All of the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes arising from the sea floor through a vent described in geological theory as a hotspot (geology)|hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. This explains why only volcanoes on the southern half of the Island of Hawaii are presently active. The last volcanic eruption outside the Island of Hawaii happened at Haleakala|Haleakalā on Maui in the late 18th century. The newest volcano to form is Loihi Seamount|Lō{{okina}}ihi, deep below the waters off the south coast of the Island of Hawaii.
The isolation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the wide range of environments to be found on high islands located in and near the tropics, has resulted in a vast array of endemic flora (plants)|flora and fauna (animals)|fauna. The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. Those conditions make Mount Waialeale|Mount Wai{{okina}}ale{{okina}}ale the wettest place on earth; it averages 11.7 m (460 in) of rain annually.
The movement of the Hawaiian royal family from the Island of Hawaii to Maui and subsequently to Oahu explains why certain population centers exist where they do today. The largest city, Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu, was the one chosen by King Kamehameha III as the capital of his kingdom due to the natural harbor there, the present-day Honolulu Harbor. Other large cities and towns include Hilo, Hawaii|Hilo, Kahului, Hawaii|Kahului and Lihue, Hawaii|Līhu{{okina}}e.
Image:Niihausatellite.jpg|Niihau|Ni{{okina}}ihau
Image:Kauai from space oriented.jpg|Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i
Image:Oahu.jpg|Oahu|O{{okina}}ahu
Image:Maui.jpg|Maui
Image:Molokaifromsatellite.jpg|Molokai|Moloka{{okina}}i
Image:Lanaisatellite.jpg|Lanai|Lāna{{okina}}i
Image:Kahoolawesatellite.jpg|Kahoolawe|Kaho{{okina}}olawe
Image:STS61A-50-57.jpg|Hawaii (island)|Hawai{{okina}}i
Climate
The Climate of Hawaii is typical of tropical areas. It is famous for being warm throughout the whole year; during the summer, the temperature may reach to around 90 degrees Farenheit. Though people who live in Hawaii often complain about the heat, tourists generally enjoy the warm weather, as many of them come from locations of colder climates. Thus, Hawaii has become a popular tourist destination in the wintertime, when the Hawaiian weather would be above 70 degrees Farenheit. Hawaii is also popular with tourists in the summer because it does not suffer from the same heat waves that occur in the continental North America -- Hawaii has tradewinds which keep excess heat away.
The main portions of Oahu can be divided into Windward and Leeward sections, divided by a mountain range. The Windward side enjoys more rain. However the Leeward side's drier climate has benefitted toward the plantation industries.
History
Hawaiian antiquity
''Main article: Ancient Hawaii|Ancient Hawai{{okina}}i, Hawaiian mythology, Polynesian mythology''
Anthropology|Anthropologists believe that Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands|Marquesas and Society Islands first populated the Hawaiian Islands in approximately 300AD, followed by Tahitian settlers in approximately 1300AD who conquered and eliminated the original inhabitants of the islands. These Tahitian conquerors preserved memories of their migrations orally through genealogy|genealogies and folk tales, like the stories of Hawaiiloa|Hawai{{okina}}iloa and Paʻao|Pa{{okina}}ao. Relations with other Polynesian groups were sporadic during the early migratory periods, and Hawaii grew from small settlements to a complex society in near isolation. Voyaging between Hawai'i and the South Pacific apparently ceased with no explanation several centuries before European arrival. Local chiefs called alii|ali{{okina}}i ruled their settlements and fought to extend their sway and defend their communities from predatory rivals. Warfare was endemic. The general trend was towards chiefdoms of increasing size, even encompassing whole islands.
Vague reports by various European explorers suggest that Hawaii was visited by foreigners well before the 1778 arrival of United Kingdom|British exploration|explorer Captain James Cook. Historians credited Cook with the discovery after he was the first to plot and publish the geographical coordinates of the Hawaiian Islands. Cook named his discovery the Sandwich Islands in honor of one of his sponsors, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.
Hawaiian kingdom
''Main article: Kingdom of Hawaii|Kingdom of Hawai{{okina}}i''
After a series of battles that ended in 1795 and peaceful cession of the island of Kauai in 1810, the Hawaiian Islands were united for the first time under a single ruler who would become known as Kamehameha I|King Kamehameha the Great. He established the House of Kamehameha, a dynasty that ruled over the kingdom until 1872. One of the most important events during those years was the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu|suppression of the Hawaii Catholic Church. That led to the Edict of Toleration (Hawaii)|Edict of Toleration that established religious freedom in the Hawaiian Islands. The death of the bachelor Kamehameha V|King Kamehameha V who did not name an heir resulted in the election of William C. Lunalilo|King Lunalilo. After him, governance was passed on to the House of Kalakaua|House of Kalākaua. However, local businessmen effectively rendered the monarchy powerless by enacting the Bayonet Constitution. Among other things, it stripped the king of his administrative authorities, eliminated voting rights for all Asians, and required specific income and property requirements for all other European and native Hawaiian voters, essentially limiting the electorate to elite native Hawaiians and Europeans. David Kalakaua|King Kalākaua reigned until his death in 1891. His sister, Liliuokalani|Lili{{okina}}uokalani, succeeded him to the throne and ruled until her dethronement in 1893, a coup d'état orchestrated by local businessmen and government officials with the help of an armed militia The Honolulu Rifles, instigated by the Queen's threat to abrogate the constitution. Governance was again passed, this time into the hands of a Provisional Government of Hawaii|provisional government and then to an independent Republic of Hawaii. During the kingdom era and subsequent republican regime, Iolani Palace|{{okina}}Iolani Palace — the only official royal residence in the United States today — served as the capitol buildings.
Image:Kamehamehaportrait.jpg|Kamehameha
Image:Kamehamehaii.jpg|Kamehameha II
Image:Kamehamehaiii.jpg|Kamehameha III
Image:Alexanderliholiho.jpg|Kamehameha IV
Image:Kamehamehav.jpg|Kamehameha V
Image:Williamcharleslunalilo.jpg|Lunalilo
Image:Kalakauapainting.jpg|Kalākaua
Image:Liliuokalani2.jpg|Liliuokalani
Hawaiian territory
''Main article: Territory of Hawaii|Territory of Hawai{{okina}}i''
The Newlands Resolution was passed on July 7, 1898, formally annexing Hawaii as a United States territory. In 1900, it was granted self-governance and retained Iolani Palace as the territorial capitol building. Though several attempts were made to achieve statehood, Hawaii remained a territory for sixty years. Plantation owners, like those that comprised the so-called Big Five (Hawaii)|Big Five, found territorial status convenient, enabling them to continue importing cheap foreign labor; such immigration was prohibited in various other states of the Union.
The power of the plantation owners was finally broken by activist descendants of original immigrant laborers. Because they were born in a United States territory, they were legal U.S. citizens. Expecting to gain full voting rights, they actively campaigned for statehood for the Hawaiian Islands.
In March 1959, both houses of Congress passed the Admission Act and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. (The act excluded Palmyra Atoll, part of the Kingdom and Territory of Hawaii, from the new state.) On June 27 of that year, a plebiscite was held asking Hawaiians to vote on accepting the statehood bill. Hawaii voted 17 to 1 to accept. On August 21, church bells throughout Honolulu were rung upon the proclamation that Hawaii was finally the 50th state of the Union.
Hawaiian statehood
After statehood, Hawaii quickly became a modern state with a construction boom and rapidly growing economy. The Hawaii Republican Party|Hawai{{okina}}i Republican Party, which was strongly supported by the plantation owners, was voted out of office. In its place, the Democratic Party of Hawaii|Democratic Party of Hawai{{okina}}i dominated state politics for forty years. The state also worked toward restoring the native Hawaiian culture. The 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention|Hawai{{okina}}i State Constitutional Convention of 1978 heralded what some called a Hawaiian renaissance. Its delegates created programs that sought to revive the indigenous Hawaiian language and culture. In addition, they sought to promote native control over Hawaiian issues by creating the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Languages
''Main articles: Hawaiian language, Hawaiian English''
The state of Hawaii has two official languages as prescribed by the Constitution of Hawaii|Constitution of Hawai{{okina}}i adopted at the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention|1978 constitutional convention: Hawaiian language|Hawaiian and English language|English. Article XV, Section 4 requires the use of Hawaiian in official state business such as public acts, documents, laws and transactions. Standard Hawaiian English, a subset of American English, is also commonly used for other formal business. Hawaiian is legally acceptable in all legal documents, from depositions to legislative bills. The third and fourth most spoken languages are Tagalog and Japanese language|Japanese, respectively.
Origins
Before the arrival of Captain James Cook, the Hawaiian language was purely a spoken language. The first written form of Hawaiian was developed by American Protestant missionaries in Hawaii during the early 19th century. The missionaries assigned letters from the English alphabet that roughly corresponded to the Hawaiian sounds. Later, additional characters were added to clarify pronunciation. The ''okina|{{okina}}okina'' indicates a glottal stop while the macron called ''Hawaiian language|kahakō'' signifies a long vowel sound. When a Hawaiian word is spelled without any necessary okina and kahakō, it is impossible for someone who does not already know the word to guess at the proper pronunciation. Omission of the okina and kahakō in printed texts can even obscure the meaning of the word. For example, the word ''lanai'' means stiff-necked. However, when spelled as ''lānai'' it means veranda while ''Lānai'' refers to an island. This can be a problem in interpreting 19th century Hawaiian texts recorded in the older orthography. For these reasons, careful writers use the modern Hawaiian orthography.
Revival
As a result of the constitutional provision, interest in the Hawaiian language was revived in the late 20th century. Public and independent schools throughout the state began teaching Hawaiian language standards as part of the regular curricula, beginning with preschool. With the help of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, also created by the 1978 constitutional convention, specially designated Hawaiian language immersion schools were established where students would be taught in all subjects using Hawaiian. Also, the University of Hawaii System|University of Hawai{{okina}}i System developed the only Hawaiian language graduate studies program in the world. Municipal codes were altered in favor of Hawaiian place and street names for new civic developments.
Pidgin
Over the course of Hawaiian history, a third language was developed that is in common use throughout the state today. Originally considered a mere dialect of Hawaiian English, cultural anthropologists have recently reached consensus that Hawaiian Pidgin is a distinct language on its own. Hawaiian Pidgin finds its origins in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations as laborers from different cultures were forced to find their own ways of communicating and understanding each other. Laborer emigrants from different countries — China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Portugal — began composing their own words and phrases based on their own language traditions, which merged with Hawaiian and Hawaiian English.
Debates
A somewhat divisive political issue that has arisen since the Constitution of Hawaii adopted Hawaiian as an official state language is the exact spelling of the state's name. As prescribed in the Admission Act|Admission Act of 1959 that granted Hawaiian statehood, the federal government recognizes ''Hawaii'' to be the official state name. However, many state and municipal entities and officials have recognized ''Hawaii'' to be the correct state name. Official government publications, as well as department and office titles, use the traditional Hawaiian spelling. Private entities, including local mass media, also have shown a preference for the use of the okina. While in local Hawaiian society the spelling and pronunciation of ''Hawaii'' is preferred in nearly all cases, even by standard English language|English speakers, the federal spelling is used for purposes of interpolitical relations between other states and foreign governments.
The nuances in the Hawaiian language debate are often not obvious or well-appreciated outside Hawaii. The issue has often been a source of friction in situations where correct naming conventions are mandated, as people frequently disagree over which spelling is correct or incorrect, and where it is correctly or incorrectly applied.
See also
Hawaiian alphabet
Government
The state government of Hawaii is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from the kingdom era of Hawaiian history. As codified in the Constitution of Hawaii|Constitution of Hawai{{okina}}i, there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.
The executive branch is led by the Governor of Hawaii|Governor of Hawai{{okina}}i and assisted by the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii|Lieutenant Governor of Hawai{{okina}}i, both elected on the same ticket. The governor, in residence at Washington Place, is the only public official elected for the state government in a statewide race; all other administrators and judges are appointed by the governor. The lieutenant governor is concurrently the Secretary of State of Hawaii. Both the governor and lieutenant governor administer their duties from the Hawaii State Capitol|Hawai{{okina}}i State Capitol. The governor and lieutenant governor oversee the major agencies and departments of the executive of which there are twenty.
The legislative branch consists of the Hawaii State Legislature|Hawai{{okina}}i State Legislature — the twenty-five members of the Hawaii State Senate|Hawai{{okina}}i State Senate led by the President of the Senate and the fifty-one members of the Hawaii State House of Representatives|Hawai{{okina}}i State House of Representatives led by the Speaker of the House. They also govern from the Hawaii State Capitol. The judicial branch is led by the highest state court, the Hawaii State Supreme Court|Hawai{{okina}}i State Supreme Court, which uses Aliiolani Hale|Ali{{okina}}iolani Hale as its chambers. Lower courts are organized as the Hawaii State Judiciary|Hawai{{okina}}i State Judiciary.
The state is represented in the Congress of the United States by a U.S. Congressional Delegations from Hawaii|delegation of four members. They are the senior and junior United States Senate|United States Senators, the representative of the First Congressional District of Hawaii|First Congressional District of Hawai{{okina}}i and the representative of the Second Congressional District of Hawaii|Second Congressional District of Hawai{{okina}}i. Many Hawaii residents have been appointed to administer other agencies and departments of the federal government by the President of the United States. All federal officers of Hawaii administer their duties locally from the Prince Kuhio Federal Building near the Aloha Tower and Honolulu Harbor.
Hawaii is primarily dominated by the Democratic Party and has supported Democrats in 10 of the 12 presidential elections in which it has participated. In 2004, John Kerry won the state's 4 electoral votes by a margin of 9 percentage points with 54% of the vote. Every county in the state supported the Democratic candidate.
The Prince Kuhio Federal Building also houses agencies of the federal government such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service and the United States Secret Service. The building is the site of the federal courts and the offices of the United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, principal law enforcement officer of the United States Department of Justice in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.
Image:Lindalingle.jpg|Linda Lingle
Governor
(Republican)
Image:Jamesaiona.jpg|James R. Aiona, Jr.
Lieutenant Governor
(Republican)
Image:Bunda.jpg|Robert Bunda
Senate President
(Democrat)
Image:Daniel Inouye.jpg|Daniel Inouye
U.S. Senator
(Democrat)
Image:Daniel Akaka.jpg|Daniel Akaka
U.S. Senator
(Democrat)
Image:Neilabercrombie.jpg|Neil Abercrombie
U.S. Representative
(Democrat)
Image:Edcaseofficial.jpg|Edward Case
U.S. Representative
(Democrat)
Image:Mayorharrykim.jpg|Harry Kim (politician)|Harry Kim
Mayor of Hawaii
(Nonpartisan)
Image:Mufihannemann.jpg|Mufi Hannemann
Mayor of Honolulu
(Nonpartisan)
Image:Bryanjbaptiste.jpg|Bryan J. Baptiste
Mayor of Kauai
(Nonpartisan)
Image:Mayoralanarakawa.jpg|Alan Arakawa
Mayor of Maui
(Nonpartisan)
Unique to Hawaii is the way it has organized its municipal governments. There are no incorporated cities in Hawaii except the City & County of Honolulu. All other municipal governments are administered at the County (United States)|county level. The county executives are the Mayor of Hawaii|Mayor of Hawai{{okina}}i, Mayor of Honolulu, Mayor of Kauai|Mayor of Kaua{{okina}}i and Mayor of Maui. All mayors in the state are elected in nonpartisan races.
The officers of the federal and state governments have been historically elected from the Democratic Party of Hawaii|Democratic Party of Hawai{{okina}}i and the Hawaii Republican Party|Hawai{{okina}}i Republican Party. Municipal charters in the state have declared all mayors to be elected in nonpartisan races.
Economy
The history of Hawaii can be traced through a succession of dominating industry|industries: sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Since statehood was achieved in 1959, tourism continues to be the largest industry in Hawaii, contributing 24.3% of the Gross State Product (GSP) in 1997. Most recently, new efforts were created to diversify the economy. The total gross output for the state in 2003 was USD $47 billion. Per capita income for Hawaii residents was USD $30,441.
Industrial exports from Hawaii include food processing and apparel. However, because of the considerable shipping distance to markets on the west coast of the United States and ports of Japan, these industries play a small role in the Hawaii economy. The main agricultural exports are Nursery (horticulture)|nursery Plant propagation|stock and flowers, coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock, and sugar cane. Agricultural sales for 2002, according to the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, were USD $370.9 million from diversified agriculture, USD $100.6 million from pineapple, and USD $64.3 million from sugarcane.
Hawaii is known for its relatively high per capita state tax burden. In the years 2002 and 2003, Hawaii residents had the highest state tax per capita at USD $2,757 and USD $2,838 respectively. This rate can be explained partly by the fact that services such as education, health care and social services are all rendered at the state level — as opposed to the municipal level as all other states. Also, millions of tourists contribute to the collection figure by paying the general excise tax and hotel room tax. Therefore, not all the taxes collected come directly from residents. However, business leaders have often considered the state's tax burden as being too high, contributing to both higher prices and the perception of an unfriendly business climate http://starbulletin.com/2004/05/21/news/story1.html For more information about commercial industries in Hawaii, see the :Category:Business in Hawaii|list of businesses in Hawai{{okina}}i.
Education
''Main article: Hawaii State Department of Education|Hawai{{okina}}i State Department of Education''
Hawaii is currently the only state in the union with a unified school system statewide. It is also the oldest public education system west of the Mississippi River. Policy decisions are made by the fourteen-member state Board of Education, with thirteen members elected for four-year terms and one non-voting student member. The Board of Education sets statewide educational policy and hires the state superintendent of schools, who oversees the operations of the state Department of Education. The Department of Education is also divided into seven districts, four on Oahu and one for each of the other counties.
The structure of the state Department of Education has been a subject of discussion and controversy in recent years. The main rationale for the current centralized model is equity in school funding and distribution of resources: leveling out inequalities that would exist between highly populated Oahu and the more rural Neighbor Islands, and between lower-income and more affluent areas of the state. This system of school funding differs from many localities in the United States where schools are funded from local property taxes.
However, policy initiatives have been made in recent years toward decentralization. Current Governor Linda Lingle is a proponent of replacing the current statewide board with seven elected district boards. The Democrat-controlled state legislature opposed her proposal, instead favoring expansion of decision-making power to the schools and giving schools more discretion over budgeting. Political debate of structural reform is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Schools and academies
Hawaii has the distinction of educating more students in independent institutions of secondary education than any other state in the United States. It also has four of the largest independent schools: Mid-Pacific Institute, Iolani School|{{okina}}Iolani School, Kamehameha Schools and Punahou School. Other popular independent schools include: Hawaii Baptist Academy|Hawai{{okina}}i Baptist Academy, Hawaii Preparatory Academy|Hawai{{okina}}i Preparatory Academy, Maryknoll School, St. Andrew's Priory, and Saint Louis School. A highly rated public high school often cited as comparable to the state's independent schools is Moanalua High School. It should be noted that independent and charter schools can select their students, while the regular public schools must take all students in their district.
For a comprehensive list of independent schools, see the :Category:Private education in Hawaii|list of independent schools in Hawai{{okina}}i. For a comprehensive list of public schools, see the :Category:Public education in Hawaii|list of public schools in Hawai{{okina}}i.
Colleges and universities
Graduates of institutions of secondary learning in Hawaii often either enter directly into the workforce or attend colleges and universities. While many choose to attend colleges and universities on the mainland or elsewhere, most choose to attend one of many institutions of higher learning in Hawaii. The largest of these institutions is the University of Hawaii|University of Hawai{{okina}}i System. Its main campuses are in University of Hawaii at Hilo|Hilo, University of Hawaii at Manoa|Manoa and University of Hawaii-West Oahu|West O{{okina}}ahu. Students choosing private education attend Brigham Young University Hawaii|Brigham Young University Hawai{{okina}}i, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific University|Hawai{{okina}}i Pacific University and University of the Nations. The Saint Stephen Diocesan Seminary, Honolulu|Saint Stephen Diocesan Center is a seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. For a comprehensive list of colleges and universities, see the :Category:Universities and colleges in Hawaii|list of colleges and universities in Hawai{{okina}}i.
Problems
Public schools in Hawaii have to deal with large populations of children of non-native English speaking immigrants and a culture that is different in many ways from mainland US, where most of the course materials come from and where most of the standards for schools are set.
The public elementary, middle, and high school scores in Hawaii tend to be below average on national tests as mandated under the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of this can be attributed to the Hawaii State Board of Education requiring all eligible students to take these tests and reporting all student test scores unlike, for example, Texas and Michigan. Results reported in August 2005 indicate that two-thirds of Hawaii's schools failed to reach federal minimum performance standards in math and reading (of 282 schools across the state, 185 failed http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/education/4870699/detail.html.
On the other hand, results of the ACT (examination)|ACT college placement tests show that Hawaii class of 2005 seniors scored slightly above the national average (21.9 compared with 20.9) (Honolulu Advertiser, Aug. 17, 2005, p. B1). It should be noted that fewer students take the ACT examination than take the more widely accepted SAT examination. On the SAT Hawaii's college bound seniors tend to score below the national average except in math.
Hawaii, like all other states in the United States, is struggling to provide educational services in its public schools with shrinking budgets.
Media Customs and etiquette in Hawaii|Customs and etiquette in Hawai{{okina}}i
Folklore in Hawaii|Folklore in Hawai{{okina}}i
Hawaiian mythology
List of Hawaii state parks|List of Hawai{{okina}}i state parks
Hawaii State Landmark|List of Hawai{{okina}}i State Landmarks
List of Hawaii-related topics|List of Hawai{{okina}}i-related topics
Literature in Hawaii|Literature in Hawai{{okina}}i
Music of Hawaii|Music of Hawai{{okina}}i
Polynesian mythology
Tourism in Hawaii|Tourism of Hawai{{okina}}i
Demographics
As of 2004, the population of Hawaii was 1,262,840.
The population of Hawaii is approximately 1.2 million, while the de facto population is over 1.3 million due to military presence and tourists.
Oahu|O{{okina}}ahu is the most populous island, with a population of just under one million.
Hawaii was the first majority-minority state in the United States since the early twentieth century. According to the 2000 Census, 6.6% of Hawaii's population identified themselves as Native Hawaiian, 24.3% were White or whites|Caucasian, including Portugal|Portuguese and 41.6% were Asian, including 0.1% Asian Indian, 4.7% Chinese in Hawaii|Chinese, 14.1% Filipino American|Filipino, 16.7% Japanese in Hawaii|Japanese, 1.9% Koreans in Hawaii|Korean and 0.6% Vietnamese people|Vietnamese. 1.3% were other Pacific Islander which includes Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian people|Tahitian, Maori and Micronesian, and 21.4% described themselves as mixed (two or more races/ethnic groups). 1.8% were Black (U.S. Census)|Black or African American and 0.3% were Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American and Alaska Native.
The second group of foreigners to arrive upon Hawaii's shores, after the Europeans, were the Chinese people|Chinese. Chinese employees serving on Western trading ships disembarked and settled starting in 1789. In 1820 the first American missionaries arrived in Hawaii to preach Christianity and teach the Hawaiians what the missionaries considered "civilized" ways. A large proportion of Hawaii's population has become a people of Asian ancestry (especially Chinese, Japanese and Filipino), many of whom are descendants from those waves of early foreign immigrants brought to the islands in the nineteenth century, beginning in the 1850's, to work on the sugar plantations. The first Japanese arrived in Hawaii on February 9, 1885.
The largest city is the capital, Honolulu, located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu. Other populous cities include Hilo, Hawaii|Hilo, Kaneohe, Hawaii|Kāne{{okina}}ohe, Kailua, Hawaii|Kailua, Pearl City, Hawaii|Pearl City, Kahului, Hawaii|Kahului, and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii|Kailua-Kona.
As of 2000, 73.4% of Hawaii residents age 5 and older speak English language|English at home and 7.9% speak Pacific Island languages. Tagalog language|Tagalog is the third most spoken language at 5.4%, followed by Japanese language|Japanese at 5.0% and Chinese language|Chinese at 2.6%.
Religion
Christian = 68%
Protestant = 42%
Congregational/United Church of Christ= 3%
Baptist = 2%
Methodist = 2%
Catholic = 24%
Mormon = 2%
Agnostic/non-religious = 18%
Buddhist = 9%
Other(e.g. Shinto, Tao, pagan) = 5%
''See also'': Richest Places in Hawaii|Richest Places in Hawai{{okina}}i
Famous people from Hawaii
The list of famous people from Hawaii|list of famous people from Hawai{{okina}}i is a comprehensive, alphabetized list of persons who have achieved fame that presently or at one time claimed Hawaii as their home. Separate registers of members of the :Category:Royal Family of Hawaii|Hawaiian royal family and List of Hawaii politicians|Hawai{{okina}}i politicians are also available.
Image:Fatherdamien.jpg|Father Damien
Beatified towards sainthood by Pope John Paul II
Image:Mothermariannecope.jpg|Mother Marianne Cope
Beatified towards sainthood by Pope Benedict XVI
Image:Fong.jpg|Hiram Fong
First Chinese American and Asian American elected United States Senator
Image:Dukesurfer.jpg|Duke Kahanamoku
Inventor of modern surfing and 1912, 1920 and 1924 Olympics champion
Image:Georgeariyoshi.jpg|George R. Ariyoshi
First Japanese American and Asian American elected governor in the United States
Image:Ericshinseki.jpg|Eric Shinseki
First Japanese American and Asian American member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Image:Ben cayetano adresses legislature.jpg|Ben Cayetano
First Filipino American and second Asian american elected governor in the United States
See also
Image:Akakafalls1.jpg|Akaka Falls
Image:Lightmatter haleakala Maui Hawaii.jpg|Haleakala|Haleakalā
Image:Kalalau Trail 2004-08-22.JPG|Na Pali Coast
Image:Hawaii sts26 big.jpg|
External links
http://www.state.hi.ushttp://www.gohawaii.comhttp://www.hawaiianswers.com- a FAQ repository for Hawaii
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15304at NASA's Earth Observatory
http://www.google.com/maps?ll=20.731201,-157.675781&spn=5.218506,8.107910&t=k&hl=enhttp://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/lacroix.hawaii.history
|