Things you might not know about Hawaii are named

The Aloha State is what Americans call the Hawaiian Islands, which receive more than 6 million tourists every year. This is a real earthly paradise with tall palm trees, an impenetrable jungle, endless beaches, and as many as ten climatic zones. But is this archipelago really as beautiful as people say? Let's find out.

Most people think that Hawaii is one big resort with the world-famous Waikiki Beach and the capital of the region, Honolulu. But in fact, it is one of the world's largest archipelagos, consisting of more than 140 islands of different sizes and climates. The most famous of them are Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Niʻihau. All of them are surrounded by reefs, and some of them have active volcanoes. By the way, due to constant eruptions, the territory of Hawaii has been growing steadily for thousands of years. Of course, this process is very slow and almost invisible.

Almost all the islands of the archipelago are accessible to tourists. But some are almost impossible to get to. Niʻihau is one of them. More than a hundred years ago, it was bought from King Kamehameha IV by the wealthy Robinson family. The descendants of the first owner of this territory still protect the island from outsiders. Thus, you can visit this region only at the invitation of one of them or a native Hawaiian who permanently resides on Niʻihau. And there are not as many of them as it might seem.

The total population of Hawaii barely exceeds one million people. Although the islands are considered part of the United States, they are mostly inhabited by Asians. In particular, ethnic Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and Filipinos are often found here. The number of native Hawaiians is quite small: only 22% of all those who inhabit the islands. By the way, this is one of the 4 states where non-Hispanic whites do not constitute the majority of the population.

The most populous island of Hawaii is Oʻahu. It is also the most popular resort there. It is home to 75% of the archipelago's population. Many foreigners come here every year, but few of them pay attention to the real problems of this region, including the high level of crime. Although serious crimes are rare, thefts are recorded almost daily.

It is interesting that the ethnic population of the islands treats tourists well, but does not recognize the people who have settled Hawaii over the past few hundred years. This causes a lot of tension between people and a lot of conflicts.

As we wrote earlier, Hawaii is an extremely popular destination among tourists. Every year, 6 million people come here and spend more than $11 billion in total. It goes without saying that this brings the main income to a region with virtually no businesses.

The state earns a lot of money from growing coffee beans and pineapples. It is one of the main suppliers of these products to the US and Europe.

Living in Hawaii is incredibly expensive. This is due to the fact that there is practically no industry on the islands. Everything from food to technology is brought here from the continental United States or other countries. Due to the remoteness of the archipelago, it is quite difficult to do so. That's why the prices for everything are high.

Not surprisingly, there are many homeless people in Hawaii. Most of them live in tents. However, the police have absolutely no reaction to such "spontaneous" settlements because they do not actually break the law. Of course, ordinary locals do not like tent cities because they can be located even in someone's yard. Interestingly, most of the homeless ended up on the streets of their own free will. Thanks to the temperate climate and good government assistance, they have been living at their leisure for years and not working at all.

Most islanders speak English. However, there is also a language here, Hawaiian. It is spoken by less than a quarter of the archipelago's population. Interestingly, the local alphabet consists of only 12 letters, 5 of which are vowels and 7 are consonants. At the same time, the words of this language are long and difficult. For example, the name of one of the local fish species is written as Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. It's hard to imagine how it reads.

The most popular local word is "Aloha". Depending on the context, it can have completely different meanings. It is said when people want to say hello or goodbye, express hospitality, and even confess their love. But it always has an exceptionally positive meaning.

The state of Hawaii has its own system of law, which is radically different from all other regions of the United States. There are certain prohibitions, the violation of which can lead to very severe punishment or even death. However, any criminal can avoid punishment. To do this, they have to get to a special religious refuge called Puʻuhonua, where they are forgiven for all their crimes and sins.

Thanks to this system of justice, Hawaii effectively deals with various violations of the law. For example, the islands do everything they can to prevent snakes. A smuggler who tries to bring these reptiles into the state can get 3 years in prison and will have to pay a fine of up to 200 thousand dollars.

Gambling is also prohibited. Therefore, there are no casinos and no lotteries in Hawaii. The rule applies not only for land business. Ships with this kind of entertainment on board cannot enter the state's waters.

Moreover, there are no billboards here at all. By the way, a similar restriction is in place in three other American states: Vermont, Maine, and Alaska.

Despite various prohibitions and minor issues, Hawaii is a great place to live and relax.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you what you need to know before traveling to Norway.

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