Hawaii About & Short History
Internationally known as the home of the Hula and named the surfing capital of the world, the archipelago of Hawaii has no peers. Hawaii is actually a group of over 1500 islands that are still geologically active; new land is forming everyday in this unique part of world thanks to several active volcanoes. Six of those islands have become havens for tourists who enjoy the natural flora and fauna that dress each island in a delightfully indescribable way. Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai and the big island of Hawaii are filled with plants, birds and insects that are found no where else in the world and the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean surround them with underwater wildlife and aquatic mysteries that keep residents and the tourists entertained night and day. Whether it’s a deep sea fishing trip off the coast of the big island or a snorkeling adventure around the coastline of Maui, or surfing the waves off Oahu, Hawaii’s water activities are considered the best in the world and never disappoint the millions of visitors who spend a a few weeks a year enjoying the untamed beauty of this former royal kingdom, which is now considered a state in the union of the United States.
Trying to describe the Aloha State in a few words is almost impossible. Hawaii has been inhabited for at least 1500 years, but that’s just the documented record. Islanders from Polynesia, Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands found the islands long before then. Hawaiian culture was born from this mixture of islanders who worshiped gods and demi-gods. They set up a strict social system that was based on taboos and rituals that are still practiced in a ceremonial way today. Ancient chieftains battled over the islands for years and finally in 1778, the English explorer James Cook discovered Kauai’s Waimea Bay and named this new land mass “the Sandwich Islands.” All of the islands were united in 1810 and in 1820 the first Protestant missionaries arrived and began converting the islanders to Christianity. The islands flourished as a seaport for whalers, traders and fisherman throughout the 19th century. Western settlers not only brought a new religion to the islands, they brought disease as well and it almost destroyed the native population. Hawaii became an American territory in 1898 and in 1959 it became the 50th state in the union.
