For many tourists, the best vacation spot in the US is the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii is the state of the country, the fiftieth in order of entry into the state. This happened in the summer of 1959. After joining, the islands began an active economic growth, as well as an increase in the population, which in 2015 amounted to about one and a half million people.
Location
Where is Hawaii located? The map (photo below) shows that the islands are located in the center of the Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km away from the US west coast. Their area is 28,311 km. sq. On the island of Hawaii, there are active volcanoes Kilauza and Mauna Loa, as well as a dormant volcano Mauna Kea (4205 m).
Hawaii is considered the fastest growing area of the Earth, which is a consequence of volcanic activity. Due to the peculiarity of local soils, which practically do not retain moisture, there are almost no lakes in the state. The exceptions are Halulu, Waiau, and the Ka-Loko reservoir.
How many islands are in the state of Hawaii?
It consists of 8 large islands in the southeast of the archipelago inCentral Pacific:
- Kauai.
- Neehau.
- Molokai.
- Oahu.
- Lanai.
- Kakhoolawe.
- Maui.
- Hawaii.
These are not all the islands of the archipelago, but the state is associated with them, since the total area of the remaining 124 islands is only about eight square kilometers.
The largest island of the archipelago is Hawaii (you can see it on the map). To avoid confusion with names, it is often referred to as the Big Island. Its area is 10,432 km. sq. Hawaii is the only US state that:
- not located in North America;
- it is completely surrounded by the ocean;
- is an archipelago;
State Capital
Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu, which is part of the archipelago, the capital of the state of Hawaii. This name can be translated as "secluded bay". In this area, the first settlements appeared in 1100 AD. Surprisingly, for a long time, European ships that passed from North America to Asia did not notice the islands and their inhabitants.
Only in the fall of 1794, the ship Butterworth (Britain), commanded by Captain William Brown, entered the bay (later it was named Honolulu). Then Brown called it differently - "Clean Harbor". It was later renamed Brown's Cove in honor of its discoverer.
Today Honolulu is the center of the state of Hawaii, a modern city with magnificent skyscrapers, convenient infrastructure, numerous offices, restaurants, shops.
On the outskirts of the city is the famous sandy beach of Waikiki. Weak waves create conditions for surfing. Today, the popular Sailing Center is located here. The state of Hawaii, whose sights invariably attract the attention of tourists, annually receives thousands of visitors from all over the world. We will talk about some of them in this article.
State of Hawaii: attractions. Bishop Museum
The building of this museum was built in 1889 on the island of Oahu and is one of its main monuments. The building is made in the Romanesque style, which at that time was very popular on the islands. The building features narrow arched windows located on the façade and a row of Doric columns that support the span of the main entrance. At first glance, the museum is very reminiscent of a stone medieval castle.
The exposition of the museum is the largest collection of scientific artifacts and Polynesian cultural artifacts. In addition, here you can see an exhibition of insects, which consists of almost fourteen million specimens. The permanent exhibition of Hawaiiana culture is especially popular.
On the territory of the museum there is an archive that contains the results of research conducted by employees of this institution in the Pacific Ocean. These are the most valuable manuscripts, works of art, photographs and commercial maps and sound recordings.
Hawaiian theater
Today, many of our compatriots buy tours to Hawaii. This is not surprising. Here you can combine perfectlyorganized beach holiday with excursion. And there is something to see here.
For example, the Hawaiian Theater is a beautiful majestic building built in 1922. It is located in the very center of the capital. The building is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Landmarks. The theater was built in neoclassical style, designed by architects W. Emory and M. Webb. The local press calls it none other than "Pride of the Ocean".
This theater was originally built not only for productions and performances, but also for watching movies. After a while, he began to lose popularity. As a result, in 1984 it was closed. Five years later, it was decided to reconstruct it. After a complete renovation of the interior, the theater opened its doors to the audience in 1996. Now he is again popular and in demand. Various concerts, performances, shows are held here.
James Cook Monument
Hawaii is a state that owes its current position to Captain James Cook, who is considered the discoverer of these lands. According to historical documents, he became the first Westerner to set foot on this earth.
The monument to the great navigator was erected in the center of Waimea. He is an exact copy of the sculpture, which is located in his hometown of Whitby (England). A memorial plaque indicates the place where he was killed.
Honolulu Zoo
Today, almost all travel agencies in our country can offer their customers tours to Hawaii. True, such a trip can not be called a budget. For example, a ticket to Hawaii for 11 days for two people will cost you from 184 thousand rubles. However, if this price does not bother you, feel free to go on a trip. Surely the impressions received will last you for a long time.
But back to the sights of the state. If you happen to be here, be sure to visit the Honolulu Zoo. You need to know that this is the only institution of this type, not only on the islands, but also in the United States, which was created on Royal Land. It was officially opened in 1877, on 300 acres of swampy land. The zoo has become part of the royal park of Kapiolani.
In 1914, Ben Hollinger became the first director of the park, who began to actively collect animals around the world. Its first inhabitants were a bear, a monkey, an African elephant. The Honolulu Zoo celebrated its rebirth in 1984, when the plan for a tropical zoo was developed by the government, which included exhibits from three zones: the Asian and American rainforests, the tropical zone of the Pacific Islands and the African savannah.
Today, more than a thousand animals, reptiles, amphibians and birds live here. You can see tigers and lions, porcupines and giraffes, rhinos and elephants, hippos and monkeys, crocodiles and turtles. There are restaurants, a souvenir shop and even a market on the territory of the modern park.
Diamond Head Crater
Hawaii is a US state famous for its natural attractions. One of them, no doubt, is this crater. It is located in the east of Oahu. Its name is translated from Hawaiian as "the forehead of a tuna". Its English name was given to it at the end of the 18th century, when British navigators discovered calcite crystals here, which they mistakenly took for diamonds.
According to volcanologists, the Diamond Head crater was formed about 150 thousand years ago, after a powerful eruption. Its diameter is 1100 meters and its maximum height is 250 meters.
In 1898, there were defensive structures in the crater (Fort Rager). A few years later, an observation post and a command complex (four levels) were installed at the highest point of the crater. A tunnel two hundred meters long was dug through the wall of the crater. A cannon battery was built to protect the island from attacks.
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii is a US state that amazes with the scale and grandeur of natural monuments. An example of this is this famous National Park. There are several volcanoes on its territory, the most famous of them are Loa, Mauna and Kilauea (the latter is the youngest of them, it is just over a hundred years old).
People learned about this amazing place only at the end of the last century. Its area is more than 1500 square kilometers. Travelers can see here the frozen lava that has accumulated in these places over 70 million years.
The nature in the park is diverse - here tourists will definitely be shown the dead Kau desert and tropical thickets. In addition to volcanoes, this park has manycaves that appear due to the movement of lava. For tourists, walking tours are organized here, you can visit excursions by car or plane.
Sunset Beach
Despite the huge number of historical and cultural attractions, Hawaii (US state) is most famous for its amazing beach holidays. There are many amazing beaches here. One of them - Sunset Beach - is located in the north of Oahu. This is a huge ocean beach. It is known primarily for its huge waves, which appear here mainly in winter. For this reason, surfers from all over the world have chosen it.
However, for beginners in this sport, Sunset Beach can be dangerous. This is due to the extensive coral formations that are close to the surface of the water. An inexperienced surfer can get injured here.
Climatic conditions on this beach vary depending on the season. The main surfing competitions are held here only in winter, because at this time (December and January) the wave height reaches its maximum. The beach is covered with fine white sand. Nearby is a picturesque park with palm trees and climbing vines.
Punalu Black Beach
And one more place amazes everyone coming to Hawaii (US state). This is the famous Black Beach. An amazing place where tourists can see big turtles very close by. The beach is covered with unusual black sand. This color is given to it by local volcanoes. They spew lava, which then falls into the waters of the ocean andwashed ashore in the form of bas alt chips.
You can walk along this beach, but not everyone will dare to swim here - the water is quite cool due to cold fresh water springs gushing under the ocean. It is strictly forbidden to take sand from the beach. You can not disturb the "local residents" - turtles, which are protected by the state. One touch of them can put you in trouble with state law enforcement. The locals are convinced that anyone who disobeys and picks up a turtle will provoke the wrath of the volcanic goddess Pele.
