Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. On August 21, 1959, the state was admitted to the Union. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of O'ahu. The most recent census estimate puts the state's population at 1,283,388.

At the southeastern end of the chain of islands are the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, and Hawai'i. The last is by far the largest, and is often called the "Big Island" or "Big Isle" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole.

History

Hawaii is one of four U.S. states that were independent prior to becoming part of the United States, along with the Vermont Republic (1791), the Republic of Texas (1845), and the California Republic (1846). The Kingdom of Hawaii existed from 1810 until 1893 when the monarchy was brought down by resident American (and some European) businessmen. It was an independent republic from 1894 until 1898, when it was annexed by the United States as a territory. It officially became a state in 1959.

Hawaii was the target of a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan on December 7, 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor and other military and naval installations on O'ahu, carried out by aircraft and by midget submarine brought the United States into World War II.