Neptune's Needle

State (area; 10,931 sq miles; 2000 pop. 1,211,537; 1995 est. pop. 1,186,815), central Pacific, admitted to the Union in 1959 as the 50th state; (cap.) Honolulu (on Oahu); 21º13'N 156º56'W. The Hawaiian Isls. are of volcanic origin and are edged with coral reefs. Commercial fishing is prevalent; tuna is the principal species caught. U.S. military defense installations at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere in the state are extremely important to Hawaii’s economy. The 1st known settlers of the Hawaiian Isls. were Polynesian voyagers (the date of 1st migration is believed to be A.D. c.750). The isls. were 1st visited by Europeans in 1778 by the Eng. explorer Capt. James Cook, who named them the Sandwich Isls. for the Eng. earl of Sandwich. At that time the isls. were under the rule of warring native kings. On Dec. 7, 1941, Jap. aircraft made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, plunging the U.S. into World War II. During the war the Hawaiian Isls. were the chief Pacific base for U.S. forces and were under martial law. After having sought statehood for many decades, Hawaii was finally admitted to the Union on Aug. 21, 1959.

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Compiler

Peter Richards