Explore location of Hawaii on world map, Hawaii is a state of the United States of America, located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 2000 km west coast of the US mainland.
Where is Hawaii Located?
Hawaii is the only U.S. state sitting in the central North Pacific Ocean, about 2,400 miles southwest of California, and 3,850 miles southeast of Japan. Hawaii is an archipelago of 137 volcanic islands, atolls and islets, eight major islands. It lies between latitudes 18°N and 20°N and longitudes 154°W and 160°W, one of the most geographically isolated places on Earth.
Hawaii is the 50th state of the United States and the only state which is entirely islands. Hawaii, the largest island is the biggest of the chain with an area of 4,028 square miles to be exact, and this is larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. Honolulu the state capital is on the island of Oahu, which has nearly one million residents and is the economic and cultural hub of the area.
The Hawaiian Islands have been created by volcanic activity from a geological hotspot on the Pacific plate. This hotspot has created all the islands, and the Big Island is the last and the most active of the islands. Two of the world's most famous volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, are situated on the Big Island and Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on the earth in terms of volume.
Hawaii is in the Polynesian subregion of the Oceania region and is culturally and historically associated with other Pacific island countries including Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti. Hawaii is the only one of the 50 U.S. states that was once an independent kingdom, not part of the United States until annexed in 1898, and which became a state in 1959. Hawaii’s location also situates it as a key military, trade, and tourism hub because of its unique geography.
Hawaii has a land area of about 10,931 square miles, which makes it the 43rd largest state. Despite its small land size, it has one of the largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of about 1.5 million square miles, which provides the state with access to the vast ocean resources. The islands are located along the Tropic of Cancer, which means that the climate is tropical with warm temperatures throughout the year, moderate rainfall, and wet and dry seasons.
Because Hawaii is so distant it depends virtually on imports for food, fuel and other goods and over 80 percent of its food is imported. But it is strategically located in the Pacific and is a major center for trans-Pacific air and sea transportation. Honolulu International Airport and the Port of Honolulu are important hubs for people and trade between the United States, Asia, and other Pacific islands.
Hawaii is also of significant biodiversity and ecological importance and includes unique ecosystems. This isolation has fixed the evolution of plant and animal life found nowhere else on the planet. However, this is also a price that is paid for the vulnerability to invasive species and environmental changes. The state has several national parks, including Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park, which it uses to protect its landscapes and ecosystems.
Hawaii time zone is Hawaii Aleutian Standard Time (HAST) UTC-10:00, 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Hawaii is unique among U.S. states; it does not adopt daylight saving time. This time zone is a fixed one so there is no inconsistency in business and travel operations throughout the year.
Hawaii has a population of about 1.4 million people, and the demographic is quite diverse, comprising Native Hawaiians, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Whites. The state’s culture is Polynesian, Asian, and Western heritage and customs are evident in the traditions, food, and language of the state. Hawaiian is also an official state language, and many people in the state speak Pidgin, a form of Hawaiian Creole English.
Hawaii is a significant research center for marine biology, astronomy, and climate science because of its location in the Pacific Ocean. The summit of Mauna Kea is the location of some of the world's most advanced astronomical observatories because of the elevation and the lack of light pollution. There is diverse marine life in the surrounding Pacific waters, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the green sea turtles.
This has also made Hawaii a vital military outpost, with key U.S. military bases like Pearl Harbor, Schofield Barracks, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a turning point in American history, it propelled America into World War II.
Hawaii is located in the Pacific which has natural hazards for example, tsunamis, hurricanes and volcanic activity. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center which is in Honolulu plays the role of monitoring seismic activities and changes in the ocean in order to give early signs of approaching tsunamis.
Hawaii’s location has made its economy tourist, military and agricultural. Millions of visitors annually draw billions of dollars generating from its beaches, cultural sites and natural beauty. Sugarcane and pineapple plantation-dominated agriculture has also diversified into crops like coffee, tropical flowers, and macadamia nuts.
