Hawaii Overview
US State
Renowned Waikiki Beach in Honolulu
Hawaii is a U.S. state on an isolated volcanic archipelago in the Central Pacific. Its islands are renowned for their rugged landscapes of cliffs, waterfalls, tropical foliage and beaches with gold, red, black and even green sands.
Of the 6 main islands, Oahu has Hawaii’s biggest city and capital, Honolulu, home to crescent Waikiki Beach and WWII memorials at Pearl Harbour.
Why the Union Jack on the Hawaii Flag?
In 1793 British Captain George Vancouver presented the Union Jack to the conquering King Kamehameha I who was then uniting the islands into a single state. The King unofficially flew the Union Jack as the flag of Hawaii until 1816 when red, white, and blue stripes were added creating a distinctive national flag.
After a brief British occupation of Hawaii in 1843, King Kamehameha III set the number of stripes on the national flag at eight, one for each of the major islands.
When American overthrew the Hawaiian government in January 1893, they hoisted the Stars and Stripes. Rebuffed in their attempt to secure annexation by the United States, the new leaders proclaimed Hawaii a republic in 1894 under its former national flag.
However, on August 12, 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory, and 61 years later it was admitted to the Union as the 50th state. The former national flag of the kingdom and the republic was adopted, unchanged, by both the territory and the state.
Further Information About Hawaii:
- Accommodation & Places to Stay
- Places of Interest
- How to Get There
- Weather & Climate
- Local Cuisine
- Things to Do in Hawaii
- A Brief History of Hawaii