Hawaii essays

Hawaii essays MOTTO: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness) Located in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii consists of eight major islands. They are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. Honolulu, which is in Oahu, is Hawaiis capital and largest community. Hawaii entered the Union on August 21, 1959, as the 50th state. Hawaiis economy was long dominated by plantation agriculture and military spending. As agriculture has declined in importance, the economy has diversified to encompass a large tourist business and a growing manufacturing industry. Hawaii is known as the Aloha State; aloha is a word used both for greeting and farewell in the Hawaiian language. The eight main Hawaiian islands comprise the tops of several shield volcanoes (those that are formed from quiet lava flows rather than explosion), which rise from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The largest island, Hawaii, is formed from five volcanoes. Only two of them are active. Maui is made up of two shield volcanoes and a central plain. Oahu has two heavily eroded volcanoes which form two mountain ranges. Between the two mountain ranges lies a central plateau on which sugar cane and pineapple are planted. Prominent features of Oahus landscape are Diamond Head and Punchbowl. Kauai has steep sea cliffs as well as a number of inland canyons. Molokai comprises a plateau in the west and rugged mountains in the east. Hawaii has a tropical climate moderated by oceanic influences and prevailing northeasterly tradewinds. Temperatures vary little from place to place except with elevation. The average annual temperature of about 75 degrees varies little between summer and winter According to the 1990 census, Hawaii had 1,108,229 inhabitants, an increase of over 14.9% over 1980. The 1995 estimated population is 1,221,000. The aver ...