Hawaii

Hawaii is the only US state made up entirely of islands and the only one located in the tropics, a volcanic archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The 50th and most recent state, it is renowned for its beaches, volcanoes and Polynesian heritage.

Hawaii consists of eight main islands formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot, including the Big Island, where Mauna Loa and Kilauea remain active. The landscape spans beaches, rainforests, sea cliffs and snowcapped summits. The climate is tropical, moderated by ocean trade winds.

Hawaiian culture is rooted in Native Hawaiian traditions of hula, the Hawaiian language, and the spirit of aloha, blended with strong Asian and Pacific influences. Surfing originated here, and the islands have a distinctive cuisine and a deep connection to the ocean and land.

Settled by Polynesian voyagers over a thousand years ago, the islands were unified into a kingdom by Kamehameha I around 1810. The monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the islands were annexed by the US, and after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II, Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959.