Hawaii, encompassing an area of 10,930.9 sq mi (28,311 sq km) has volcanic islands and the place was denominated after ‘Aloha’, meaning love.Hawaii’s coastline is the fourth-longest coastline in the US, extending 750 mi (1207 km). Honolulu ranked 22nd on World Livability Index 2019 and Hawaii is the third wealthiest US state.Hawaii, an archipelago, lies in the Pacific Ocean which is not interconnected. Although it is part of the US, it is the only state not within North America geographically. Hawaii, the small island, was named after Hawaiki, formerly Raiatea, meaning ‘homeland of Polynesians’ with a Hawaiian population of 1.4 million. Native Hawaiians are called Kanaka Maoli. Hawaii island is known for its dominance over agriculture, oceanography, astronomy, geophysics, biomedicine, and satellite communication. It is an important transportation hub in the Pacific basin.Originating from the volcanic mountains upon the moving Pacific plate at sea level, Hawaii’s islands are Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Hawaii, and Maui. Kahoolawe has no permanent residents. Despite having an ideal tropical climate, Hawaii is still humid and has two seasons; summer and winter. Here, fertile soils are made out of ballistic lava and volcanic ash such as andisols and mollisols found in Maui and Hawaii. Mount Waialeale, in Kauai, became the wettest area with rainfall and Kawaihae became driest with rainfall in main islands.The population composition of the big island includes Polynesians from the 4th-9th centuries AD and Tahiti’s from the 9th-10th centuries AD. Hawaiians have cultural similarities with Polynesians, evident in the official language and culture. In 1778, Captain Cook’s foreign adventures led to the discovery of Hawaii.Hawaiians were influenced by foreign culture and Hawaii residents soon adopted it. Hawaiians ended up converting to Christianity. This welcomed people from China, Japan, Puerto Rico, Korea, Azores, the Philippines (the country to Hawaii’s west), the U.S. mainland, and Europe, giving birth to a multi-ethnic society including Roman Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, and other Asian religions. Hawaiian government is associated with federal law. The Hawaiian language uses 13 characters. The Hawaiian language, which is also the official language of Hawaii, is endangered consisting of both Hawaiian and Pidgin.History Around HonoluluHonolulu, being the capital of Hawaii, became a westernmost and southernmost county seat of the US. It was an island that was neglected by navigators earlier.The Hawaiian kingdom was established under the Kamehameha dynasty. King Kalākaua was the last king of that dynasty. After gaining its independence in 1820, Honolulu was occupied by the British in 1843 and the French in 1849. Since 1845, Honolulu was the unofficial capital and became an independent city in 1850 under King Kamehameha III. Honolulu was affected severely in the Second World War by a Japanese aerial attack.The port of Honululu has facilitated many industries like a sugar refinery, clothing factory, dairy, cannery, aluminum and steel, oil, and cement. With the University of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, Chaminade University, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and Kamehameha School, Honolulu developed as an academic hub from 1907-1927.The National Memorial Cemetery commemorates the soldiers of the Second World War, as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars, which hold significant historic value. Places like Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, the State Capitol, Honolulu Hale, and the Library of Hawaii are other important places. Captain Cook established his footprints in 1778 in Waimea, named it after Sandwich Islands, and got killed one year later in 1779, after arriving at the shore of Kealakekua Bay.In 1819, Queen Kaahumanu facilitated western contact by putting aside native Kapu ideology and this phenomenon caused the arrival of missionaries. In 1872, King Lunalilo got elected after King Kamehameha V’s demise. His successor, David Kalakaua, retained his dominance and his encounters with foreign governments helped him to build a Hawaiian monarchy like never before.His dominance dissipated with the signing of the Bayonet Constitution by anti-monarchists in 1887. Later, Liliuokalani was the queen but despite trying, she was overthrown and Sanford B. Dole became the president of the Republic of Hawaii in 1894. Hawaii became an independent territory in 1900 and became a state of the US in 1959. The island of Oahu does not count under US domination.A Brief History Of The Hawaiian IslandsHawaiian history tells us that the Hawaiian islands were colonized by voyagers. Let’s go through some of the vigorous events.The Hawaiian islands were identified by Spanish sailors in 1627. In 1778, Captain Cook arrived there and Hawaii got protection on his behalf from Britain in 1794. In Kona, Honolulu, the Kauai Christian missionaries arrived in 1820, and in 1821, the first Christian Church was established.Slowly, trading ventures became a part of the island, with many starting their ventures with sugar and coffee in 1825. Catholic missionaries arrived in 1827 to the islands. Trade expanded to the cattle business in 1830 when cowboys arrived from Mexico and California. Seeking to replace the declining whaling industry, sugar cane commercials started booming around 1835.Kawaiahao Church’s construction began in 1838. In 1840, the first constitution was declared by the Hawaiian kingdom and in 1842, the kingdom was acknowledged by the United States. In 1843, Hawaii was captured by George Paulet and later became independent with Richard Thomas from England. The construction for the governor’s residence was finished in 1846.In the meantime, measles, whooping cough, and influenza broke out and caused a lot of casualties in 1848. In 1849, Legoarant de Tromelin failed to invade the land on behalf of France. In 1886, Hawaii got electricity starting with the Iolani Palace. Hawaii was remarked as a territory of the US in 1900.In 1901, the Moana Hotel and Dole plantation (for pineapple) were identified with the Hawaiian Islands. In 1907, the University of Hawaii started improvising in agriculture and mechanics. Duke Kahanamoku won the gold in 1912 at the Stockholm Olympics. The Honolulu Museum of Art was founded in 1922. On the island of Hawaii, Aloha Tower construction was initiated in 1924. Lei Day and the Pink Palace of the Pacific were inaugurated in 1927. The first trans-Pacific flight to Hawaii started its journey in 1935 from San Francisco. The flight was completed in 21.5 hours.In 1941, Pearl Harbor was ambushed by Japan. Soon after, a tsunami fell upon Hilo in 1946 and on Big Island in 1960. Hawaii became the 50th US state in 1959 and in 1974, George Ariyoshi became the governor. In 1978, a constitutional convention took place, which later led to a political revolution. In 1986, John Waihee became the governor. Hurricane Iniki fell upon Kaua’i in 1986. In addition, the unlawful dislodging of the Hawaiian monarchy was acknowledged by Bill Clinton in 1993. The Union Jack in the Hawaiian flag embodied British Royal Navy’s historical involvement with the island.Hawaiian Sovereignty MovementThe sovereignty movement happened on August 12, 1998, to claim the right to self-determination which had been limited after the US annexation.To mark the 100th jubilee of the illegal annexation of Hawaii by the US, native Hawaiian people congregated in Iolani Palace. Around the same time, the United States marked its 50th year of human rights, and Hawaii highlighted the issue of illegal annexation. Miguel Alphonso from the United Nations proclaimed Hawaii should be placed under non-self-governing territories on July 30, 1998. Hawaii has never been a part of US domestic policy; only the indigenous could control their resources and had socio-economic rights.The sovereignty movement, Ka Lahui, seeks self-determination through non-violence and disarmament. The main aim was to get rid of the wardship of the US but it was unable to tackle it. In recent times, alternatives to the sovereignty movement have emerged, like the right to hold elections or following the statute of ICCPR to achieve self-determination.Second World War HistoryAmidst the turbulent years of the war, Japan was fighting against the US. Japan was allied with Germany and Italy, known as Axis power. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was bombed by the Japanese.The strike was conducted in two phases, aiming for the battleships and the air defense of the US. The first two ships that were completely destroyed were the USS Arizona and Oklahoma in the harbor. The aim was also to weaken the air defense system and to destroy potential resources that could benefit the US in the war. The casualties rounded up to 2404 people, and most of the casualties were reported from USS Arizona.The seed for war was sowed when Hitler fashioned himself as a dictator of Germany in 1933 and when he invaded Poland in 1939, the Second World War began. The military advances made by Germany led to the creation of the allied forces of Great Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union. The allied forces were fighting the Axis powers. It was against this backdrop that Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was bombed.Flora And FaunaUSFWS reviewed 50,000 species, with about 30% being Endangered in Hawaii, and the sub-tropical island having a diversity of native flora.Plants were either brought to the island by birds or early Polynesian settlers in 500-800 AD. Some of the plants gained their dominance over native species. The Acacia koa with the dimensions of 70 ft (21.3 m) by 10 ft (3 m), is salt water-resistant. Thus, it was useful for building surfboards, canoes, and furniture. Another dominant flora species, metrosideros polymorph, is considered to be a sacred tree because of its reddish-orange flowers.In Hawaii, fauna species adaptation was different due to the absence of predators. In the 19th century, with the demand for oil and skin, the Hawaiian monk seal population was facing a decline and became endangered. A lack of mongoose made Kauai a key hub to bird species.With 90% endemic species, hoary bats are found in Koke state park, wild horses in Waipi’o valley, feral cattle in Mauna Kea (the tallest mountain in Hawaii), and brush-tailed wallabies in the Kalihi Valley. Alala, Aeo, and Nene bird species are classified as Endangered. Some species found in Hawaii are Conger and Moray eels, sperm, pilot, and melon-headed whales, and gray, white, and black reef sharks.
Hawaii, encompassing an area of 10,930.9 sq mi (28,311 sq km) has volcanic islands and the place was denominated after ‘Aloha’, meaning love.
