The Islands of Hawaii are one of the worlds great tourist destinations. The Hawaiian Islands form the northern boundary of the Pacific triangle with Tahiti and New Zealand, and all of the island groups within this triangle have the same Polynesian background and all speak basically the same language. Hawaii is the only group in the triangle that lies in the northern hemisphere . There are nineteen islands in the Hawaiian archipelago and they are all of volcanic origin. The Big Island of Hawaii now lies over the volcanic hot spot that is responsible for the creation of this group and the active volcano on the Big Island is now one of the islands great tourist attractions. The volcano here is called Kilauea and has been erupting continuously for several years. It has been active for over 600000years and is likely to continue its activity into the foreseeable future. Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on earth and is still active. It has erupted 33 times since 1843. Mauna Loa makes up half the mass of Hawaii and from its base below sea level to its summit is around 17 kilometres.

Historically, the islands of Hawaii have peen populated by the Polynesian people since around the birth of Christ. Captain James Cook came here in 1778. When Cook arrived, each of the islands had a separate monarchy and in 1810 King Kamehamea 1 conquered all the islands and ruled over the whole Hawaiian archipelago. The Hawaiian monarchy survived until 1893 when it was overthrown by a group of American businessmen . Finally after a period as a trust territory of the USA it became a full state in 1959. Hawaii is a US military base and has been for many years. It saw violent action during the Pacific war against the Japanese and the attack on Pearl Harbour, by the Japanese is what really brought the USA into the war. Today, the islands of Hawaii are a multicultural destination with many Americans having moved to the island state to live. It has been really popular for retirees and the American love of golf has seen dozens of glorious courses built throughout the islands. Many of these courses come complete with holiday resorts and these contribute to the islands economy. The major towns through the islands reflect this immigration and mainland supermarkets and shopping exist right through the islands.

There are five main islands in the group. The capital is Honolulu which lies on the island of Oahu. Oahu is also the most populous of the islands and four out of five Hawaiian residents live here. It is also the main point of entry. There are hundreds of holiday resorts around Honolulu and surrounding suburbs like Waikiki. This is the heart of the tourist region and the beach and town center are always busy. Shopping, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops are plentiful. Also on Oahu is the USS Arizona National Memorial and the Pearl Harbour memorial. The north shore of Oahu is known for having some of the largest waves in the world and the island is the birthplace of surfing. Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also a popular tourist destination with many cruise ships that visit Hawaii anchoring off its coastline. The protected waters between Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe provide an ideal location for cruise ships to visit and bring their passengers ashore. The town of Lahania is a fantastic seaside village and a popular gathering point for tourists. Humback whales gather in these waters every year and a strong whale watching industry as grown up. One of Maui’s best known tourist attractions is the drive along the Hana Highway, which winds along the islands north east coast and has spectacular views. The Big Island of Hawaii is the other that has lots of tourist attractions and things to do in Hawaii. It is a golfers and surfers paradise and a helicopter ride over the crater of Kilauea volcano is a must do for anyone who finds such an awesome display of the earths power interesting. Lava flows almost continually from the crater and rivers of lava can be seen flowing down the mountainside and into the sea. The islands of Molokai and Kauai are less developed and more laid back. There are resorts here although they are not as plentiful as those on the other islands.

Hawaii is without doubt, the Pacific Island group that attracts the most tourists for a holiday.





































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