Pacific Island Paradises

Hanalei KAUA'I NI'IHAU Princeville Kapaa Lihue Poipu Beach Sunset Beach Haleiwa O'AHU Pearl Harbor Honolulu Laie Kaneohe Kahala Waikiki Beach MOLOKA'I Kaunakakai Ka'anapali Beach LANA'I Lahaina Kahului Wailea Kihea KAHO'OLAWE Kohala Coast Waimea Mauna Kea Kailua Kona HAWAI'I Mauna Lea Hilo MAUI Hana Perfect holiday destination Located more than 5178 kilometres off the west coast of America, this tropical paradise of turquoise bays, white sandy beaches, lush tropical vegetation and balmy sunshine all year round, is renowned as one of the world's most famous vacation playgrounds. Most of the 132 islands in this beautiful archipelago are no more than tiny atolls, the summits of a chain of submarine volcanoes that stretches almost to Japan. Hawaii is full of contrasts and extremes and it has 11 of the world's 13 climatic zones. History The first inhabitants of Hawaii were Polynesians who arrived between the fourth and fifth century with plants and animals. Captain James Cook was the first European. He landed in 1778 to find a structured society with chiefs ruling each island. In 1920, Hawaii became a major tourist destination with the first non-stop flight from the US mainland. In 1959 it became 66 www.paradisesonline.com an American state and Honolulu is now the 11th largest city in the USA. Capital and major centres Tourism is restricted to six of the eight most southerly islands. These are Oahu, with the city of Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii; Maui, the second largest island with the world's largest dormant volcano; Kauai which is known for its magnificent scenery and vegetation; Hawaii or the Big Island where Captain Cook is buried, and the ancestral home of Hawaiian royalty; and Molokai and Lanai, located off the coast of Maui. The people There are 1.3 million people of mixed races living in the Hawaiian archipelago. Hawaii's religions are as diverse as its cultural heritage. The official languages are Hawaiian and English. Nature Home to more than 10,000 plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth, the islands are famous for palms, coconut palms, cactus, kamani, ohia,

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