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The State of Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental US, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

The correct spelling of the state is Hawaii.

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, was the one chosen by Kamehameha III as the capital of his kingdom because of the natural harbor there, the present-day Honolulu Harbor.

Now the state capital, Honolulu is located along the southeast coast of Oahu. The previous capital was Lahaina, Maui. Some major towns are Hilo, Ka-ne'ohe (Ka-ne?ohe), Kailua, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Kihei (Ki-hei), and Lihue (Li-hue).

An archipelago situated some 3,200 km southwest of the North American mainland, Hawaii is the southernmost state of the United States and the second westernmost state after Alaska. Only Hawaii and Alaska are outside the contiguous United States and do not share a border with any other US state.

Hawaii is the only state of the United States that

is not geographically located in North America
is completely surrounded by water
has a royal palace
does not have a straight line in its state boundary
continuously grows in area (due to currently active lava flows, most notably from Kilauea (Ki-lauea).)

Hawaii's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea stands at 13,796 ft and is taller than Mount Everest if followed to the base of the mountain—on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

All of the Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanos erupting from the sea floor from a magma source described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much of 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 Big Island, and the Loihi Seamount (Lo-ihi) deep below the waters off its southern coast, are presently active, with Loihi being the newest volcano to form.

The last volcanic eruption outside the Big Island occurred at Haleakala on Maui in the late 18th century, though recent research suggests that Haleakala's most recent eruptive activity could be hundreds of years earlier.

The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. The Big Island is notable as the world’s fifth highest island.

Because of the islands' volcanic formation, native life before human activity is said to have arrived by the "3 W's": wind (carried through the air), waves (brought by ocean currents), and wings (birds, insects, and whatever they brought with them). 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 tropic, has resulted in a vast array of endemic flora and fauna. Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile and has lost a higher percentage of its endemic species than anywhere else on Earth.

Areas under the control and protection of the National Park Service include;

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail on the Big Island
Haleakala National Park in Kula
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island
Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Kalaupapa
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park in Kailua-Kona
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Puuhonua o Ho-naunau) in Honaunau
Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site (Puukohola-) in Kawaihae
USS Arizona Memorial at Honolulu The 20s were my decade of dreams, lets hope my 30s are one of acievement
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