For many tourists, the best vacation destination in the United States is the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii - the state of the country, the fiftieth order of entry into the state. This happened in the summer of 1959. After joining the islands, an active economic growth began, as well as an increase in the population, which in 2015 amounted to about one and a half million people.
Location
Where are Hawaii located? On the map (photo below) it can be seen that the islands are located in the center of the Pacific Ocean, 3700 km away from the west coast of the USA . Their area is - 28 311 km. sq. On the island of Hawaii, there are active Kilauz and Mauna Loa volcanoes, as well as the sleeping Mauna Kea volcano (4205 m).
Hawaii is considered the fastest growing area of the Earth, which is a consequence of volcanic activity. Due to the peculiarities of local soils, which practically do not retain moisture, the state has almost no lakes. Exceptions are Halulu, Wahiau, as well as the Ka-Loko reservoir.
How many islands in the state of Hawaii?
It consists of 8 large islands in the southeast of the archipelago in the center of the Pacific Ocean:
- Kauai.
- Niihau.
- Molokai.
- Oahu.
- Lanai.
- Kahoolawe.
- Maui
- Hawaii.
These are not all 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 (this is visible on the map). In order to avoid confusion with the names, it is often called the Big Island. Its area is 10 432 km. sq. Hawaii is the state of the United States (the only one) 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 vessels that passed from North America to Asia did not notice the islands and their inhabitants.
Only in the autumn of 1794 the Butterworth ship (Britain), which was led by Captain William Brown, entered the bay (later it was called Honolulu). Then Brown called it differently - "Clean Harbor". It was later renamed Brown's Bay 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 the conditions for surfing. Today, the popular Sailing Center is located here. The state of Hawaii, whose attractions invariably attract the attention of tourists, annually receives thousands of guests 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 facade and a series of Doric columns that support the passage of the main entrance. At first glance, the museum is very reminiscent of a stone medieval castle.
The museum exposition is the largest collection of scientific artifacts and Polynesian cultural exhibits. In addition, you can see the exhibition of insects, which consists of almost fourteen million copies. Especially popular is the permanent exhibition of Hawaiiana culture.
The museum has an archive, which contains the results of studies conducted by the staff of this institution in the Pacific basin. These are valuable manuscripts, works of art, photographs and commercial maps and sound recordings.
Hawaiian Theater
Today, many of our compatriots purchase tours to Hawaii. No wonder. Here you can combine a perfectly organized beach vacation with a sightseeing one. 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 Monuments. The theater was built in the neoclassical style, designed by architects W. Emory and M. Webb. The local press calls it "Pride of the Ocean."
This theater was originally built not only for productions and performances, but also for watching films. After some time, 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 it is again popular and in demand. Various concerts, performances, shows are held here.
Monument to James Cook
Hawaii is a state that owes its current position to Captain James Cook, considered the discoverer of these lands. According to historical documents, he became the first Westerner to set foot on this land.
The monument to the great navigator is installed in the center of Waimea. He is an exact copy of the sculpture, which is located in his hometown of Whitby (England). A commemorative 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 budget. For example, a trip to Hawaii for 11 days for two people will cost you from 184 thousand rubles. Nevertheless, if such a price does not bother you, feel free to go on a trip. Surely the received impressions will be enough for 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 the Royal Land. It was officially opened in 1877, on 300 acres of marshland. The zoo has become part of the Kapiolani Royal Park.
In 1914, the first director of the park was Ben Hollinger, who began to actively collect animals around the world. Its first inhabitants were a bear, a monkey, an African elephant. Honolulu Zoo celebrated its second birth in 1984, when the government developed a plan for a tropical zoo, which included exhibits from three zones: Asian and American rainforests, the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean 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. The modern park has restaurants, a souvenir shop and even a market for guests.
Crater Diamond Head
Hawaii is a US state famous for its natural attractions. One of them, undoubtedly, is this crater. It is located in the east of Oahu. Its name is translated from Hawaiian as "tuna forehead." Its English name was assigned to it at the end of the 18th century, when British navigators discovered calcite crystals here, which they mistook for diamonds.
According to volcanologists, the Diamond Head crater formed about 150 thousand years ago, after a powerful eruption. Its diameter is 1100 meters, and the maximum height is 250 meters.
In 1898, there were fortifications in the crater (Fort Rager). A few years later, an observation post and a command complex (four-level) were installed at the highest point of the crater. A tunnel two hundred meters long was dug through the crater wall. To protect the island from attacks, a cannon battery was built.
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii is the state of the USA, which 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, he 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 1,500 square kilometers. Travelers can see here the frozen lava, which has accumulated in these places for 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 many caves that appear due to the movement of lava. Walking tours are organized for tourists, and you can visit excursions by car or plane.
Sunset Beach
Despite the huge number of historical and cultural attractions, Hawaii (USA) is most famous for its stunning beach holidays. There are many amazing beaches. 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, he was chosen by surfers from around the world.
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 be injured here.
Climatic conditions on this beach vary depending on the season. The main surfing contests are held here only in the 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 in which palm trees and creepers grow.
Black beach Punalu
And one more place amazes everyone coming to Hawaii (USA). This is the famous Black Beach. An amazing place where tourists can see large turtles very close by. The beach is covered by black sand, unusual for us . Local volcanoes give it that color. They spew lava, which then falls into the ocean and is washed ashore in the form of basalt chips.
You can walk along this beach, but not everyone will decide to swim here - the water is pretty cool because of the springs with cold fresh water that spurt under the ocean. It is strictly forbidden to take out sand from the beach. You can not disturb the "local residents" - turtles, which are protected by the state. One touch of them can threaten you with problems with representatives of state law. Locals are convinced that anyone who disobeys and takes the turtle in his arms will cause the wrath of the volcanic goddess Pele.