HAWAII:
• is home to the longest continuously erupting volcano in recorded history (Kilauea Caldera on the Big Island has been producing a lava flow since January 1983)
• has no daylight savings time
• is home to the oldest educational institution west of the Rocky Mountains (Lahainaluna School in Lahaina, Maui, founded in 1831). The Lahainaluna campus was also the site where the first newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains was published, in the late 1830s.
• has no snakes in the wild
• is considered the nation's endangered species capital
• is home to the tallest mountain on the planet (Mauna Kea on the Big Island — measured from the seafloor — tops out at 33,476 feet. From sea level it measures 13,796 feet high).
• has the only U.S. city to be founded by royalty (Honolulu, on the island of Oahu), and hosts the only royal residence on U.S. soil ('Iolani Palace)
• hosted a structure ('Iolani Palace) that featured electricity before even the White House in Washington, D.C.
• had a Hawaiian monarch, King Kalakaua, who was the first reigning monarch to circumnavigate the globe and the first foreign head of state to speak before a joint session of Congress.
• had a population that, during the Hawaiian monarchy, was among the most literate in the world.
• is home to the wettest spot on earth (Wai'ale'ale, Kaua'i's highest mountain, records about 485 inches of rainfall per year)
• has two official languages — Hawaiian and English
• is comprised of 137 islands, encompassing a land area of 6,423.4 sq miles, only 7 islands are inhabited
• is still growing (Lo'ihi, a new seamount 20 miles off the Big Island of Hawai'i, is giving birth to the chain's next island — due to rise above the waves in another 60,000 years)
• is the most geographically isolated population center on earth (2,000 miles from Marshall Islands, 2,390 miles from California, 2,500 mi from Tahiti, 3,850 mi from Japan, 4,900 mi from China, 5,280 mi from the Philippines)
• has no rabies and requires a process to determine if incoming cats and dogs have the disease
• is the only place on earth that hosts all branches of the U.S. military
• is the only state in the nation with no incorporated towns (towns and regions are governed by counties, each encompassing an entire island or more: The City & County of Honolulu governs the island of O'ahu plus all the isles stretching north up the Hawaiian Island chain to the island of Midway; the County of Maui governs Maui, Moloka'i, Kaho'olawe and Lana'i; the County of Hawai'i governs the Big Island of Hawai'i; and the County of Kaua'i governs Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. Each county has a mayor and a council.)
• has the most advanced telecommunications system in the world; is one of only five states in the U.S. with 100 percent digital switching for telephones; and has more fiber optic cable per mile, per capita, than any other state.
Hawaii's distinctive symbols- bird, flag, flower, etc.-represent the island chain's natural beauty and rich culture.
The state flag has eight stripes representing the Hawaiian archipelago's major islands: Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe and the Big Island of Hawai'i. The colors are red, white and blue. From top to bottom on the flag the stripes are, in order, white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red. The upper left corner closely resembles the Union Jack of Great Britain. Designed for King Kamehameha I in the early 1800s, the flag's resemblance to the Union Jack symbolizes King Kamehameha's friendship with the British.
State Nickname: The Aloha State
State Motto - Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness). King Kamehameha III is said to have uttered these words on July 31, 1843, when the Hawaiian flag was once more raised after a brief usurpation of authority by a British admiral.
State Seal - The state seal has a heraldic shield in the center, a figure of King Kamehameha I on its right side and the Goddess of Liberty holding the Hawaiian flag on the left. Below the shield is the Phoenix surrounded by taro leaves, banana foliage, and sprays of maidenhair fern. With color, the seal becomes the State Coat of Arms.
State Song - Hawai'i Pono'i: Written by King David Kalakaua and set to music by Professor Henry Berger, the Royal Bandmaster. It was first performed on November 16, 1874 in Honolulu's Kawaiha'o Church. This was also the official song of the Kingdom of Hawai'i (1810-1893) and the Territory of Hawai'i (1900-1959).
The lyrics of Hawai'i Pono'i: Translation:
Hawai'i pono'i, Nana i kou, mo'i Hawai'i's own true sons, be loyal to your chief
Ka lani ali'i, ke ali'i. Your country's liege and lord, the ali'i.
Makua lani e, Kamehameha e, Father above us all, Kamehameha,
Na kaua e pale Me ka ihe. Who guarded in the war with his ihe.
State Flower - Yellow hibiscus (pua ma'o hau hele; Hibiscus brackenridge)
State Bird - nene (Hawaiian goose; Branta sandvicensis). ("nay-nay") is a variety of goose that lives and breeds on land. Nene are endangered, despite a restoration project that began in late 1940s and are protected by law.
State Marine Mammal - The humpback whale, which migrates annually from Alaska to Hawaiian waters to mate and calve (generally during the months of December through April).
State Fish (unofficial) - The humuhumunukunukuapua'a (pronounced Hoo-moo-hoo-moo noo-koo-noo-koo ahh poo-ah-ah) is a Hawaiian reef triggerfish. This fish's angular body, distinctive color pattern and characteristic dorsal make it easy to distinguish. It can reach 10 inches long and is generally found in shallow reef waters.
State Tree - (candlenut; Aleurites moluccana), a plant species introduced from Polynesia. Ancient Hawaiians used the nuts of this tree for oil, medicine and more. Kukui oil is still used to soothe dry skin and other skin ailments.
State Gem: Black coral
State Team Sport: Outrigger canoe paddling
Statehood - Hawai'i joined the United States as its 50th state on August 21, 1959. Statehood Day is celebrated annually in August as a state holiday.
State Capital - Honolulu, the capital city, is on the Island of O'ahu.
Hawai'i's climate features mild temperatures, moderate humidity and cooling trade winds.
The Hawaiian Archipelago - Described by Mark Twain as "the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean," Hawai'i is a string of 137 islands encompassing a land area of 6,422.6 square miles in the north central Pacific Ocean about 2,400 miles from the west coast of the continental United States.
The State's Population - 1,211,537
• City & County of Honolulu: 876,156
• Hawai'i County: 148,677
• Maui County: 128,241
- Island of Maui: 117,644
- Island of Moloka'i: 7,404
- Island of Lana'i: 3,193
• Kaua'i County: 58,436
- Island of Kaua'i: 58,303
- Island of Ni'ihau: 160
Hawaii's Sea Turtles - It's as common to see a giant Green Sea Turtle as it is rare to catch a look at the nearly extinct Hawksbill Sea Turtle. Both species are considered endangered, but the Hawaiian hawksbill population is estimated at less than 30 nesting turtles. Named for its sharp, beaklike mouth, a hawksbill can weigh up to 270 pounds, much smaller than the hulking green sea turtle, which sometimes weighs in at 400 pounds. Hawksbill turtles are known for their beautiful exterior shell, often referred to as "tortoise shell," which was exploited for many years by the fashion industry and has driven the species almost to extinction.
It is believed that Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles can live up to 80 years and most don't reach sexual maturity until they are about 25 years old, sometimes taking twice that long. Turtles, like salmon, return to where they were hatched to lay their eggs. Every second or third year, turtles migrate hundreds of miles to nest. Each female will lay two or three clutches of 100 to 110 eggs each before swimming back to its favorite resting and feeding area in the protected waters of the inshore reef.
Look but don't touch. Protected by the Endangered Species Act, it's against the law to harass both Hawksbill and Green Sea turtles in any way, including touching. So if you see one when you're snorkeling, give it 10 to 15 feet of space and enough room to surface and breathe.
The details of this ceremony can vary depending on the occasion — whether it is a home, office, building or other enterprise being blessed. Kahu often personalize blessings with readings and chants they specifically select for the occasion. Three elements are fairly universal to a blessing, however: the asking for blessings from Akua (God), the sprinkling of salt water, and the untying of a maile lei (made from the leaves of a fragrant, native twining shrub) that has been gently draped and tied across a real or virtual threshold.
no details are overlooked...
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