Discovered by Polynesian settlers between the 3rd and 7th centuries A.D. and later by British Captain James Cook in 1778.
Hawai‘i became the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
Honolulu, the capital city, is on the Island of O‘ahu.
HAWAII'S EIGHT MAJOR ISLANDS
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. Stretching from
northwest to southeast, the
major islands are: Ni‘ihau,
Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i,
Kaho‘olawe, Maui and Hawai‘i.
Hawaii's climate features mild temperatures, moderate humidity and cooling trade winds.
State Flower: Yellow hibiscus (pua ma‘o hau hele; Hibiscus brackenridgei)
State Bird: Hawaiian goose (nene; Branta sandvicensis)
State Tree: Candlenut (kukui; Aleurites moluccana)
State Song: Hawai‘i Pono‘i
State Seal and Motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘aina i ka pono (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)
HAWAII'S PEOPLE
| State resident population (2008) | 1,288,198 |
| City & County of Honolulu (2007) | 905,601 |
| Hawai‘i County (2007) | 173,057 |
| Maui County (2007) | 141,902 |
| Maui Island (2000) | 117,644 |
| Moloka‘i (2000) | 7,404 |
| Lana‘i (2000) | 3,193 |
| Kaua‘i County (2007) | 62,828 |
| Kaua‘i Island (2000) | 58,303 |
| Ni‘ihau (2000) | 160 |
|
De facto population
(2007): (Includes all persons physically present, e.g., military and visitors, but excludes residents temporarily absent.) |
1,406,133 |
Population density (2000): 188.6 persons per square mile
Number of households (2007): 433,664 with an average of 2.86 persons per household
The population is 50% male and 50% female.
Median age (2007): 37.9 years
Age breakdown (2007): Under 18 (22.3%); 18 to 64 (63.4); 65 and over (14.3)
Ethnicity (2007): Hawaiian/Part Hawaiian (24.2%); Caucasian (23); Japanese (15.6); Filipino (11.2); Chinese (3.5)
Marriages (2006): 29,272 (67.6% were non-residents and 53.7% interracial)
Life expectancy (2004-2006): Males, 78.2 years; Females, 83.3 years
Education (2006): 89% of the population 25 years and older are high school graduates; 29.7% have a bachelor's or advanced degree.
HAWAII'S GOVERNMENT
Governor: Linda Lingle
Lieutenant Governor: James Aiona
(www.hawaii.gov)
Legislature: 51-member House and 25-member Senate which meets annually
There are four counties with mayors and councils:
City & County of Honolulu (the Island of O‘ahu and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands excluding Midway)
Hawai‘i County (Hawai‘i Island)
Maui County (Islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i and Kaho‘olawe)
Kaua‘i County (Islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau)
The two levels of government in Hawai'i are state and county. Counties perform most services usually assigned to cities and towns (fire protection, police, refuse collection, construction and maintenance of streets and other public works). There is only one school district which is administered by the State.
Congressional members:
U.S. Senators: Daniel K. Inouye
and Daniel K. Akaka
U.S. Representatives: Neil Abercrombie and Mazie K. Hirono
HAWAII'S ECONOMY
Gross Domestic Product (2007):
$61.3 billion
Major export industries:
Visitor expenditures (2007):
$12.8 billion; Federal defense
spending (2006): $5.4 billion;
Sugar and pineapple (2005):
$205.9 million
The State of Hawai‘i is committed to diversifying the economy. Industries encouraged are science and technology, film and television production, sports, ocean research and development, health and education tourism, diversified agriculture and floral and specialty food products.
TOURISM
Visitors staying overnight or
longer (2007): 7,496,820
By country (2007): Mainland U.S., 5.1 million; Japan, 1.3 million
Visitor expenditures (2007): $12.8 billion
Average daily visitor expenditure (2007): U.S. West, $156; U.S. East, $192; Japan, $269
| Total hotel and condominium units (2007): | 73,220 |
| O‘ahu | 33,588 |
| Maui | 19,216 |
| Hawai‘i | 11,061 |
| Moloka‘i | 309 |
| Kaua‘i | 8,692 |
| Lana‘i | 354 |
| State hotel occupancy rate (2007) | 75.3% |
| O‘ahu | 76.9 |
| Maui | 76.5 |
| Hawai‘i | 67.6 |
| Moloka‘i (2003) | 50.6 |
| Kaua‘i | 75.8 |
| Average daily room rate (2006) | $150.49 |
| O‘ahu | 129.71 |
| Maui | 200.61 |
| Hawai‘i | 136.78 |
| Moloka‘i (2003) | 93.67 |
| Kaua‘i | 155.66 |
The Hawai‘i Convention Center is a state-of-the-art facility with 350,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority oversees the planning and marketing of tourism in Hawai‘i.
FEDERAL ACTIVITIES
Total federal expenditures
(2006): $13.5 billion
Military personnel and dependents (2007): 94,500
Federal Civilian Workers (2007): 31,650
Based in Hawai‘i, USPACOM, the U.S. Pacific Command, is geographically the largest of the U.S. unified service commands. It covers more than 50% of the earth's surface from the U.S. West Coast to Africa's east coast and from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division was designated as the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team to be formed in the U.S. The Brigade will be based around the 19 ton, eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicle.
AGRICULTURE
Once Hawai‘i's primary source of
income, agriculture remains a
significant contributor.
Value of crop and livestock sales (2006): $560.8 million
Major crops (2006): Sugar, $50.2 million; pineapple, $75.5 million; flower and nursery products, $100.7 million; seed crops, $97.5; macadamia nuts, $38.7 million; coffee, $37 million; cattle, $26.5 million; milk, $14.5 million
Aquaculture farms statewide (2006): 70 small or medium-sized operations, often diversified. Overall value of aquaculture: $21.3 million; value of shellfish production, $2.3 million; algae, $11.9 million
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS
One of the most successful trade
zone programs in the United
States, the Hawai‘i Foreign
Trade Zone No. 9 in 2007 handled
$8.7 billion worth of
merchandise from 231 firms.
Exports to foreign countries
totaled $606 million.
RETAIL TRADE
Retail sales (2007): $26.4
billion
Hawai‘i's retail establishments include discount outlet malls, big box outlets and national and international luxury and chain stores.
LABOR FORCE
Unemployment rate (2007): 2.6%;
By county:(2007) Honolulu (2.5);
Hawai‘i (3.3); Maui (2.8);
Kaua‘i (2.5)
Civilian labor force (2007): 649,100
Composition of labor force (2007): Male, 50%; Female, 50%
Civilian employment (2007): 639,100
Average annual wages (2006): $37,784
In 2006, 8.0% of employed persons held multiple jobs.
Hawai‘i's economy is service-oriented. Construction, manufacturing and agriculture account for only 10% of wage and salary jobs. About three in ten civilian workers are professional or managerial. Federal, state and local government accounts for 20% of wage and salary jobs.
Hawai‘i's workforce is skilled in Asian languages and business protocol.
LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Minimum wage: $7.25 per hour
Principal unions: AFL-CIO, Teamsters, International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU)
Largest memberships: Hawai‘i Government Employees Association, ILWU, and Teamsters.
Labor union membership (2007): 169,127
In 2007, 24.2% of those employed were union members.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND
INVESTMENTS
Banks (2007): 7 with 188
branches
Savings and loan associations (2007): 3 with 92 branches
Publicly traded Hawai‘i companies: 9
All major U.S. securities firms are represented.
BUSINESS FIRMS
Domestic corporations on record
(2007): 35,966; non-Hawai‘i
corporations, 10,716;
partnerships, 5,763
Business bankruptcy filings (2007): 55
Job count by industry (2007): Service (45.7%); Government (19.5%); Retail (11%); Manufacturing (2.4%)
Most of Hawai‘i's businesses are small. 52% have fewer than five employees and 94% have fewer than 50 employees.
Business Express, an online business registration service coordinating the application process for several agencies, was launched in 2004.
COMMUNICATIONS
Daily newspapers: 6 English
language papers; Radio stations
(2008): 95; Television stations
(2008): 27
There are also foreign language newspapers, radio stations and television stations.
Cable TV companies (2007): 6 with 411,957subscribers
Cellular telephone subscibers (2006): 1,011,076
In 2003, 63.3% of Hawai‘i's households had computers and 55% had Internet access.
Hawai‘i has high data rate links with more than 30 state-of-the-art telecommunications satellites. 29,000 miles of undersea fiber optic cables provide 140,000 voice equivalent circuits facilitating simultaneous voice, data and image transmissions to the continental United States, Canada and Asia along with a new "supercarrier" cable providing an additional 130,000 circuits. Thirty dedicated T-1s link to every major business center in Asia and Europe.
EDUCATION
The University of Hawai‘i system
had 50,454 students enrolled in
2007. It awarded 2,836
bachelor's degrees, 1,049
master's degrees and 144
doctoral degrees. The three
private universities had an
enrollment of 12,956 students in
2007.
Institutions with an international focus are the East-West Center, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, the Japan-America Institute of Management Science, Hawai‘i Pacific University, Chaminade University, Kansai Gaidai Hawai‘i College and the University of Hawai‘i.
Hawai‘i's statewide public school system had an enrollment in 2006 of 180,720 students in grades K-12. There are also 133 private schools. Enrollment in private schools was 37,228 in 2006.
TRANSPORTATION
Overseas airline passenger
arrivals (2007): 8,920,759;
interisland airline passengers:
9,188,139
There are 6 major airports the largest of which is Honolulu International Airport on Oahu.
Licensed drivers (2007): 882,436
Motor vehicle registrations (2007): 1,134,542
Streets and highways (2006): 4,342 miles
The availability of public transportation varies from island to island.
There are nine commercial harbors throughout the islands. Barge service is a primary mode of transportation between islands.
INCOME AND COST OF LIVING
Per capita personal income
(2007): $34,444
Median annual income for families (2006): $84,472. Hawai‘i was ranked sixth among the fifty states and District of Columbia.
The cost of living for a family of four has been estimated to be roughly 25% higher than the U.S. average for a comparable standard of living.
GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND
TAXATION
State revenue receipts in 2006
totaled nearly $9.8 billion,
chiefly from taxes. The general
excise and use tax ($2.3
billion) and individual income
tax ($1.5 billion) are the major
sources of tax revenue.
The four counties establish real property tax rates and assess and collect these taxes. Except for licenses, permits and fees, other tax collections are the responsibility of the State which operates a centralized tax system. Hawai‘i has no personal property or inventory taxes.
There is a general excise tax (GET) of 4% that is applied to retail sale of goods and services.
The corporate tax rate is 4.4 percent of income up to $25,000, 5.4 percent of taxable income up to $100,000 and 6.4 percent of income exceeding $100,000. The capital gains tax rate is 4 percent for corporations.
HOUSING
Total housing units (2006):
500,036
State median resale value (2007): Single family, $643,500; condominium, $325,000
Average monthly mortgage (2007): $1,992
Average monthly rent (2007): $1,144
Housing is expensive in Hawai‘i, due to limited availability and the high price of land. Mobile homes are not found in Hawai‘i as zoning and building code regulations are stringent.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
Electricity sales (2007): 10.6
billion kilowatt-hours
Electric utilities: Hawai‘i Electric Light Company (Hawai‘i); Hawaiian Electric Co. (O‘ahu); Kaua‘i Electric (Kaua‘i); Maui Electric Co. (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i)
Gas sales (2007): 34.6 million therms of utility gas
Gas utility: The Gas Company
ENERGY RESOURCES
Imported petroleum (2007): about
90% of energy needs.
Other sources of energy: Solar, geothermal, garbage power, bagasse (waste from sugarcane) and wood chips from trees, wind power, water-driven turbines and coal.
Given its nearly total dependence on oil imports, Hawai‘i's top energy priorities are alternate energy and conservation.
RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Research and development
spending by the federal
government (2005): $384.4
million
Hawai‘i supports science and technology research and development through a multitude of agencies. Key among these agencies are the High Technology Development Corporation, the Maui Research & Technology Center (home of the Maui High Performance Computing Center), the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (an ocean science and technology park utilizing deep ocean water technology), Center of Excellence in Ocean Sciences (CEROS), Pacific Center for High Technology Research, Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute and the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
The University of Hawai‘i fosters research in all aspects of science and technology with international recognition in areas such as astronomy, ocean sciences, geology and biomedical research.
Notably, astronomy plays a key role in Hawai‘i's commitment to scientific research. The exceptionally clear skies at the summits of Hawai‘i Island's Mauna Kea and Maui's Haleakala offer optimum conditions for astronomical observations. On Mauna Kea alone, 13 major facilities representing the cooperation of ten countries are in operation. The Subaru Telescope Facility, the newest observatory, represents a new class of revolutionary telescopes. Supported by a dedicated supercomputer in Hilo, its ultra-thin and light mirror permits extremely high accuracy in imaging celestial objects.
The John A. Burns School of Medicine relocated to a new $150 million facility in Kakaako in early 2005. This is the first phase in the development of Kakaako as a major biotechnology center.