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Table of Contents
Hawaii is the 50th and most recent U.S. state to join the United States, having joined the Union on August 21, 1959. It is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one made up entirely of islands.
See the fact file below for more information about the state of Hawaii or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Quick Facts
- Hawaii is a group of islands called an archipelago.
- An archipelago is an area that contains a group of islands scattered in the ocean (or in lakes or rivers).
- The Hawaiian archipelago is made up of 132 islands, reefs, atolls, shoals, and seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean.
- It spans over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from the island of Hawaii in the southeast to Kure Atoll in the northwest.
- Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles ( 3220 km) southwest of the United States’ mainland
- It is the only U.S. state outside of North America and is the only state that is an archipelago.
- Hawaii is also the only state in the tropics.
- The main island, Hawai’i or Hawaii, is 93 miles (150 km) across and 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2).
- The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu.
- Hawaii officially became the 50th State of America on August 21, 1959.
Famous Citizens of Hawaii
Famous people born in Hawaii include
- Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States (2009 to 2017).
- Father Damien (priest)
- Hiram Fong (senator)
- Kamehameha I (1st King of Hawaii)
- Daniel Akaka (senator)
- Daniel Inouye (senator)
- Mazie Hirono (representative)
- Don Ho (singer)
- Liliuokalani (Queen of Hawaii)
- Bette Midler (Entertainer/actress)
- Nicole Kidman (Actress)
Additional Facts and History
- Only 7 of its 132 islands are inhabited. These are Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.
- Hawaii is known for its beautiful beaches, many of which are filled with beautiful white sand.
- Other Hawaiian shores, however, are covered with green, red, pink, and even black sand.
- The Polynesians were the first people to arrive in Hawaii, traveling there by canoe around 500 CE.
- They were ruled by a chief called an ali’i and farmed the land and fished for food.
- The first recorded visit to Hawaii by a European was by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1778.
- Cook named the islands the Sandwich Islands after the Earl of Sandwich.
- At first, the local inhabitants treated Cook as if he was a god, and they brought him and his crew many gifts.
- However, in February 1779, Cook attempted to kidnap Kalaniʻōpuʻu, the ruling chief of the island of Hawaii, a decision that led to his death.
- In the late 1700s, Chief Kamehameha began to rise to power, and by 1810 he had taken control of all the islands and became the first Hawaiian king.
- In 1820, Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii. They opened schools and taught the Hawaiians how to speak English. They also created an alphabet for the Hawaiian language, which had never been written down before.
- About the same time the missionaries arrived, so did whalers who hunted for whales in the waters around the islands.
- For the next fifty years, whaling ships came to Hawaii, bringing money, new ideas, and disease.
- Many of the Hawaiians died from the new diseases brought by the Europeans and many Hawaiian traditions, including the kapu law, came to an end during this time.
- By the mid-1800s, the main industry in Hawaii was farming sugarcane.
- Many people moved to Hawaii from places like China and Japan to work in the sugarcane fields.
- The Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States had established close ties and trade treaties.
- In 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown, and the Republic of Hawaii was established.
- A few years later, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
- Over the next several years, the United States built military bases on the islands, including Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu.
- When World War II began in 1939, the United States hoped that they could stay out of the war.
- However, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. Many U.S. ships were sunk, including the USS Arizona, and around 2,500 people were killed. The U.S. then entered the war and helped to defeat the Axis powers, including Germany and Japan. Hawaii was central in the Pacific War.
- After World War II, on August 21, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state of America.
Flora and Fauna
Flora
- The endemic flora of Hawaii includes hāpuʻu (Hawaiian tree fern) and wiliwili (Hawaiian coral tree).
- Settlers brought many plants, including pineapples, passion fruit, mangoes, papayas, and a variety of vegetables.
- They also introduced many flowers, including jasmine, orchids, protea, ginger, and hibiscus.
- Hawaii has rich soil, so sugarcane, pineapples, coffee, macadamia nuts, and flowers flourish and are all important sources of income for the state’s economy.
- Hawaiians adopted the hibiscus as their official Territorial flower in the early 1920s. In 1988 the yellow hibiscus, the Hibiscus brackenridgei, was selected as Hawaii’s state flower.
Fauna
- Hawai’i has no native land mammals except for the tiny Hawaiian Hoary Bat.
- However, Hawaii is teeming with native birds like the Hawaiian owl and the noio (a type of tern).
- Hawaii’s state bird is the Hawaiian goose called the nene.
- Hawaii’s waters are rich with monk seals, hawksbill turtles, and lizardfish.
- Humpback whales visit the waters from December to May to mate, give birth, and nurture their calves.
Did You Know?
- The Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanic activity.
- The cuisine of Hawaii is a fusion of many foods brought by immigrant groups and military personnel over the decades to the islands.
- Tourism is the state’s leading source of income and is an important part of the Hawaiian economy. Visitors per annum exceed 10 million, generating employment and more than $18 billion for the economy.
- Each of the states of the United States of America has its own flag. Hawaii’s flag consists of eight alternating horizontal stripes, three red, three white, and two blue, with the United Kingdom’s Union Flag in the canton (a canton is a square smaller than a quarter of the whole size and positioned in an upper left corner).
Hawaii Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Hawaii State Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Missouri which is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is the 21st most extensive and the 18th most populated of the fifty states. The state comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis.
Download includes the following worksheets
- Hawaii Facts
- Know Hawaii
- Hawaii Islands
- Inhabitants
- True or False
- Sugar Cane
- Pearl Harbor
- Birds
- Humpback Whales
- Barack Obama
- Agriculture
How do Hawaiians say hello?
Hawaiians use the word Aloha to say “Hello” and “Goodbye.” The word also means love, kindness, and affection.
Are there snakes in Hawaii?
There are no snakes in Hawaii. In fact, snakes are illegal in Hawaii. Because they have no natural predators, they pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s environment. They compete with native animals for food, and many species of snake prey on birds and their eggs and would endanger native birds.
Does Hawaii have nice beaches?
There are over 100 amazing beaches throughout the Hawaiian islands.
Can you surf in Hawaii?
Hawaii is an amazing place to catch a wave and surf. It has incredible swells and wave patterns that are suitable for both beginners and professional surfers.
Does Hawaii have its own language?
Yes, Hawaiians have their own language, but there are at least 130 languages spoken in Hawaii. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, of which 5 are vowels, and 8 are consonants.
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Link will appear as Hawaii Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 4, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.