Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii, a Pacific state, is located in the Pacific Ocean 2,100 miles southwest of the mainland United States. It is the only state not located on the continent of North America and the only state made up entirely of islands. The state is made up of 132 islands, eight of which are considered major islands. Hawaii is the southernmost state and lies almost entirely in the tropics. Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Honolulu is the state's capital and largest city. The state of Hawaii gets its name from the island of Hawaii, one of the eight major islands. However, no one is sure of the origin of the island's name. Some people believe that the island was named after Hawaii Loa, the Polynesian who discovered the island. Other people think the name came from Hawaiki, the old name of islands where Polynesians live. Hawaii's nickname is the "Aloha State." Aloha means love.

Hawaii’s diverse landscape, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Volcanoes built up from the bottom of the ocean formed the islands of Hawaii. Today, Hawaii has both large active and inactive volcanoes. Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, is located in the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii has the most diverse population of any state. Most of the state's population is made up of Asian descent, but it also has citizens with Japanese, Filipino, Polynesian, Chinese, and Korean backgrounds, as well as Caucasians. In fact, Hawaii is the only state not dominated by Americans of European descent. Almost all of the state's residents live on seven of the eight major islands and 75 percent of the population lives on the island of Oahu. Maui is another of the major islands.

Tourism has been the state's most important industry since 1972. Another important industry in the state is food processing, the state's leading manufacturing activity. Hawaii is a major world producer of pineapples, which are plentiful in the state.

International students in Hawaii will have many opportunities to balance the cost of living and do a little saving. Not to mention, a good deal of universities in Hawaii are seeking to increase the number of international students who enroll to study in Hawaii by offering many scholarship, internship, and other financial aid opportunities. Financial aid options are certainly worth researching for students considering to study in Hawaii, as the state has one of the highest average cost of living in the United States.

List of colleges and universities in Hawaii

Official website of the State of Hawaii

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