37 Facts About Hawaii

1. In 2013, Hawaii became the fifteenth US state to legalize same-sex marriage; a University of Hawaii researcher said the law may boost tourism by $217 million.

2. Hawaii is the 50th and most recent US state to join the United States, having joined the Union on August 21, 1959.

3. Hawaii is one of the 4 states in the US that have banned billboards.

4. Hawaii is the only state in the United States to honor a king, celebrating King Kamehameha Day on June 11th since 1872.

5. Hawaii is one of the two states in the United States that do not observe Daylight Savings Time.

6. Hawaii is the only US state that commercially grows coffee, cacao, and vanilla beans.

7. In 2006, Hawaii, known as the Aloha state, was home to nearly 1.3 million people, 24.9 percent of whom were white.

8. In 2003, Hawaii had 24 community hospitals, which together provided about 3,100 beds.

9. In 2004, Hawaii ranked 20th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita income of $32,625.

10. In 2004, Hawaii had 843,876 licensed drivers, and 4,318 miles of roads and streets.

11. In 2004, Hawaii had a population density of about 196.6 persons per square mile.

12. In 2006, Hawaii ranked 42nd in population in the United States with an estimated total of 1,285,498 residents.

13. Hawaii is the site of an annual Professional Golfers' Association tournament and the world-famous Ironman Triathlon competition.

14. In 2003, Hawaii employed 153,600 people in the travel and tourism industry.

15. In 2003, Hawaii had 24 community hospitals with about 3,100 beds.

16. In the fiscal year 2007 federal budget, Hawaii was slated to receive $15.3 million in State Children's Health Insurance Program funds to help the state provide health coverage to low-income, uninsured children who do not qualify for Medicaid.

17. In the 2002 Census of Retail Trade, Hawaii was listed as having 4,924 retail establishments with sales of $13 billion.

18. In 2004, a total of 14,035 people in Hawaii were employed in the state's manufacturing sector, according to the ASM.

19. Hawaii is the nerve center of US defense activities in the Pacific.

20. In 2003, Hawaii spent $120,409,439 on homeland security, an average of $57 per state resident.

21. In 2005, Hawaii had a total of 48 public and private-use aviation-related facilities.

22. Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean.

23. Hawaii is the only state in the US where Coffee is grown.

24. Hawaii is the only US state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands.

25. Hawaii is the only US state whose majority of people are non-white.

26. Hawaii is the only US state whose land area is increasing.

27. Hawaii is the world's largest island chain, and it's the only US state completely made up of islands.

28. The State of Hawaii filed an appeal for a re-hearing en banc.

29. In a sense, the Democratic Party in Hawaii is sort like a popular eatery like Zippy's: Year after year, people keep coming back and there is constant business.

30. Hawaii is represented in the United States Congress by two senators and two representatives.

31. Center of population of Hawaii is located between the two islands of O'ahu and Moloka'i.

32. In 1900, Hawaii was granted self-governance and retained Iolani Palace as the territorial capitol building.

33. Along with Texas, Hawaii had formal, international diplomatic recognition as a nation.

34. Hawaii is the only state to have never recorded sub-zero Fahrenheit temperatures.

35. Hawaii is the southernmost US state and the second westernmost after Alaska.

36. Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most densely populated of the 50 US states.

37. Hawaii is the only US state located in Oceania, the only US state located outside North America, and the only one composed entirely of islands.