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Hawaii,
General Information
Nickname: Aloha State
State bird: The Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
State flower: Yellow Hibiscus
Capital: Honolulu
Date of admission to the Union: August 21 1959
Population: 1,262,840 (official estimate 2004)
Population density: 44.6 per sq km
2003 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 1,947,000/4
Time: Hawaii-Aleutian (GMT - 10). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
The State: The island group of Hawaii lies 3860km (2400 miles) off mainland USA, comprised of 132 islands and atolls. The state of Hawaii consists of eight islands, of which seven are inhabited and six allow visitors. Oahu contains the capital, Honolulu, and is the most commercialised, while Hawaii is the biggest island. Oahu has two diagonal mountain ranges (the Waianae and Koolau), with many beautiful waterfalls. Hawaii is cloaked in macadamia orchards and coffee plantations. The islands support rainforest, green flatlands and a variety of other climates – in fact, of 13 climatic regions, Hawaii has all but two. Physically and psychologically, Hawaii stands apart from the USA, with an ethnically diverse population and a rich Polynesian heritage.
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