Travel Home > Directory > Destinations > North America > USA > Hawaii

Hawaii. Pop. 1,288,198. State – Hawaii HI. State Capital and Largest City – Honolulu. Currency – US Dollar, Language – English. Time Zone – GMT minus 10 hours. Main Airport – Honolulu International Airport HNL. Best time to go – this is very much dependent on the type of trip – Christmas and New Year are very popular with holiday visitors from the USA. Spring and late fall are good for diving, due to lighter waves. Whales arrive around Hawaii from mid-December to end- February. Hawaii is the 50th and most recent of the US states. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and is an archipelago consisting of 19 islands. There are 8 main islands – Hawaii ("Big Island," the largest island), Oahu ("Gathering Place," and home to the state capital Honolulu and Pearl Harbor), Maui (“Valley Isle," the second largest city), Kauai ("Garden Isle,” home to Wailua River and Waimea Canyon), Molokai ("Friendly Isle," one of the least developed locations), Lanai (once the world’s largest pineapple plantation), Niihau (privately owned island), and Kahoolaw (uninhabited at present). Hawaii built it’s original economy on pineapple, sugar, and the whaling industry. This economy was somewhat changed with the development of a major US naval base at Pearl Harbor which was then attacked by Japanese warplanes on December 7th, 1941. Over 2,000 US personel died during the attack and they are remembered at the USS Arizona Memorial on the island of Oahu. Along with the naval and military presence Hawaii has grown as a major tourist destination, and thousands of visitors arrive to see such natural wonders as Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Waimea Canyon, and NaPali Coast. For water sports fans the North Shore of Oahu becomes the surfing capital of the world every winter when large waves hot the coastline.

Previous [1] [2]