Your vacations in Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 American states and it is the only state made up entirely of islands. It’s located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental U.S. southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of O'ahu. The most recent census estimate puts the state's population at 1,283,388.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which is comprised of hundreds of islands spread over 2,400 km. At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, and Hawai'i. The last is by far the largest and is, therefore, often called the "Big Island" or "Big Isle", to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. This archipelago is geographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania.
 

Official language

English, Hawaiian

Currency

US dollar

Electricity

120 volts, 60 cycles

Shopping

The islands of Hawaii feature some of the most unique and refreshing fragrances in the world, which you can easily find in locally-produced shampoos, bath products, body lotions, soaps, oils, incense, and even floating candles. And, you can always find a loudly-pattered Hawaiian shirt or moo-moo dress to take home with you – this will provide a happy diversion and memory when fall or winter chills your bones back in Canada.

Useful information

Lanai, an island in the archipelago of Hawaii, was at one time completely owned by Dole Foods and was the largest pineapple plantation in the world; it is now home to several exclusive resorts.

The climate in Hawaii

The climate of Hawaii is typical for a tropical area, although temperatures and humidity tend to be a bit less extreme than other tropical locales due to the constant trade winds blowing from the east. Summer highs are usually in around 31°C during the day and 24°C at night. Winter temperatures during the day are usually around 28°C and (at low elevation) seldom dipping below 18°C at night. Snow, although not usually associated with tropics, falls at 4,205 meters on Mauna Loa on the Big Island in some winter months. Snow rarely falls on Maui's Haleakalā. Mount Wai'ale'ale, on the island of Kaua'i, is notable for rainfall, as it has the second highest average annual rainfall on Earth, about 11.7 m. Most of Hawaii has only two seasons: the dry season from May to October, and the wet season from October to April.

Official language

English, Hawaiian

Currency

US dollar

Electricity

120 volts, 60 cycles

Shopping

The islands of Hawaii feature some of the most unique and refreshing fragrances in the world, which you can easily find in locally-produced shampoos, bath products, body lotions, soaps, oils, incense, and even floating candles. And, you can always find a loudly-pattered Hawaiian shirt or moo-moo dress to take home with you – this will provide a happy diversion and memory when fall or winter chills your bones back in Canada.

Useful information

Lanai, an island in the archipelago of Hawaii, was at one time completely owned by Dole Foods and was the largest pineapple plantation in the world; it is now home to several exclusive resorts.