Post a New Question | Current Questions | Live Experts | Download
Homework Help: Social Studies: Geography: North & Central America: Hawaii
by Nicole Sunday
Geography
Hawaii is an island surrounded by the ocean. It is located in the pacific. Hawaii’s capital is Honolulu. It has a lot of beaches, volcanoes, and even some craters. Some of Hawaii’s major cities are Hilo, Kailua, Pearl City, Waiphu, and Kaneohe. A beautiful place to visit in Hawaii is defiantly the beach.
Climate
One of Hawaii's chief assets is it's mild climate. Hawaii is hot humid during the summer and about 80degrees F. During the winter it’s about 75 degrees F. The annual average rain fall for Honolulu is 23.47 inches. It's higher in other areas of the islands though. Hawaii has a lot of volcanoes (in fact Hawaii is a volcano) and has a lot of volcanic eruptions.
History
Hawaii became US property in August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the 50th state in the US. Honolulu became Hawaii’s capital in 1804. Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee. More than 1/3 of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii. Hawaii’s alphabet has only 12 letters, A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, W. From east to west Hawaii is the widest state in the US. More than 100 world-renowned beaches ring Honolulu. Hawaii’s nickname is The Aloha State.
Symbols
The seal was originally designed by Viggo Jacobsen for the then-Republic of Hawaii in 1895. The seal is a modified version of the royal coat of arms of the Hawaiian kingdom. Where the royal seal had two warriors, the state seal has King Kamehameha the Great on one side and the Goddess of Liberty on the other holding the Hawaiian flag.
The regal crown was replaced by the sun and the year 1959, which was when Hawaii officially became a state. The star in the center of the shield replaced canoe paddles crossed against a sail.
The Phoenix below the shield is new. In other places, emblems or royalty were replaced by emblems symbolic of a new Hawaii. The state motto remains the same as that of the kingdom: "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono." Its translation is: "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."
Hawaii's state flag resembles the Union Jack of Great Britain because many of King Kamehameha’s advisors were British and the islands were once placed under England's protection.
The flag consists of eight horizontal stripes, representing the eight major islands, and the British Union Jack. It has served as the flag of the kingdom, republic, territory, and the state of Hawaii.
The nene, or Hawaiian Goose, is the state bird of Hawaii. Once nearly extinct, it has been rescued through the valiant efforts of conservationists here in the islands and throughout the world.
The striking and beautiful yellow hibiscus (hibiscus brackenridgei), known as the pua aloalo in the Hawaiian language, is the state flower.
It is believed that there were originally only five species of hibiscus native to Hawaii. Later other varieties were imported and growers began to develop hybrids to produce the kaleidoscope of colors and sizes found today.
The kukui is the state tree of Hawaii. Also known as the candlenut, the kukui was a most useful tree to the early Hawaiians who used it for oil, light, and other purposes.
Homework Help: Social Studies: Geography: North & Central America
For Further Reading
|
