In 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state in the union. Here are some other things that make the Aloha State unique and special.
…with an isolated population center.
It’s actually the most densely populated place in the world that’s thousands of miles from other crowded places. It’s nearly 2,400 miles from California, nearly 4,000 from Japan, and 5,000 from China.
…not in the Americas.
Hawaii is so remote in relation to the contiguous U.S. that it’s not technically a part of North America, geographically speaking.
…that grows coffee.
The king of ground-up, caffeine-loaded morning beans requires a tropical climate to grow in large numbers, and Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. to offer that.
…that grows some other important beans.
Hawaii is also the U.S.’s one and only locale for growing vanilla and cocoa.
From the 20th century to the Old West, from the Age of Enlightenment to the Dark Ages, Strange History is overflowing with mysterious artifacts, macabre legends, kooky inventions, reality-challenged rulers, boneheaded blunders, and mind-blowing facts.
…surrounded by water.
While other states contain islands, Hawaii is the only one out of the 50 to consist entirely of islands and be totally surrounded by water.
…with a royal heritage.
The United States annexed Hawaii in 1898, and was made a territory in 1900. That deposed Hawaii’s long-serving royal family. Hawaii is the only state to have ever been individually ruled by a monarch. Hawaiian royals lived in Iolani Palace on Oahu, which remains America’s only royal palace. (And it had electricity installed before the White House did.)
…with its own language.
With such a rich history and cultural heritage, it’s not surprising that Hawaii has its own native tongue. When written out in English translation, its alphabet consists of a mere 12 letters and one symbol.
…that’s getting bigger.
No, it’s not slowly taking over Alaska. Hawaii is loaded with volcanos, and as they continuously erupt, lava flows meet with the Pacific Ocean, which chills the lava into solid rock. That means Hawaii’s total land area is slowly rising by a rate of about 40 acres a year.
…on Hawaiian time.
The only place in America that operates under the Hawaiian Standard Time zone is…Hawaii.