Before you plan to go to Hawaii, here are some interesting facts about Aloha Island.
• Hawaii comes from the Proto-Polynesian word ‘hawaiki’ which means ‘place of the gods’ or ‘homeland’. Hawaii has many nicknames, but one of the most famous is the term “The Aloha State.” In the Hawaiian language, the term ‘Aloha’ has many definitions such as hello, goodbye, affection, love, compassion and mercy. Although not clearly stated, Hawaii is known as the Aloha State due to its warm hospitality towards tourists, always welcoming everyone. This term is inspired by the Aloha Spirit, often described as the sense of care and hospitality towards others and those around you.
• On August 20, 1959, Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state in the union and is the newest of the 50 US states and is also the only US state that is made up entirely of of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. The state of Hawaii is made up of almost the entire Hawaiian Volcanic Island Chain, which is made up of hundreds of islands spread over 2,400 km. In fact, the Hawaiian Islands are the towering peaks of the world’s largest mountain range. Another thing, due to ongoing volcanic activity in the state, Hawaii is the only state in the US that has an increasing land area.
• Hawaii’s volcanoes attract not only tourists but also geologists and volcanologists from around the world. During the 1960s, astronauts train for trips to the moon by walking on the hardened lava fields of Mauna Loa, which closely resembles the surface of the moon.
• In AD 600, sugarcane was introduced to early Hawaiians. When Captain Cook arrived in the islands in the year 1778, sugar cane was already planted and growing around the huts of the natives. But it wasn’t until 1834 when Ladd & Co signed a lease with King Kamehameha III for 980 acres of land that sugarcane plantation became big business. Different groups of people such as Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Puerto Ricans were being recruited to work on the plantations. This mass immigration resulted in a mixed race population in Hawaii. Today, there are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii, so everyone is considered a minority. And determining the racial identification of most Hawaiians today is quite difficult since most of the population has some mix of ethnicities. Although sugar is no longer produced in Hawaii, remnants of Kauai’s plantation past can still be seen in downtown Koloa. Here you can find old sugar mills and restored plantation-style buildings.
• Did you know that the current president of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii? And he is the only president born outside of the mainland of the United States.
• Compared to the English alphabet, the Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters. Vowels formed by the letters: A, E, I, O, U and consonants formed by the letters: H, K, L, M, N, P, W.
• Ancient Hawaiian society was divided into different social classes. The lowest group was called ‘kauwa’ and was made up of prisoners of war or early settlers conquered by later arrivals. This group of people had very bad luck and are usually the ones chosen for human sacrifices to the gods. The common people are called ‘makaainana’ and the elite class which is made up of chiefs or alii, and kings.
Hawaii has a very interesting history and culture. The best way to discover it is to experience it first hand. If you plan to spend your summer in Hawaii, I suggest you look into vacation packages and try to choose those that already include airfare and accommodations to cut down on the expense.