All About Hawaii

• Nickname: The Aloha State

• Statehood: 1959; 50th state

• Population (as of July 2015): 1,431,603

• Capital: Honolulu

• Biggest City: Honolulu

• Abbreviation: HI

• State bird: nene, the Hawaiian goose

• State flower: yellow hibiscus

—Hawaii is the only U.S. state with two official languages: English and Hawaiian.

—In 2008 Barack Obama, who was born in Honolulu, was elected the 44th president of the United States.

—Entertainer Bette Midler was also born in Honolulu.

—The hula is a traditional Hawaiians dance that tells a story through movement. Dancers often wear grass skirts and leis.

—The sport of surfing may have originated in what is now Hawaii. Today professional surfersride waves over 50 feet high.

-- Hawaii’s rich soil is considered one of its most important natural resources. Sugarcane, pineapples, coffee, macadamia nuts, and flowers are all important sources of income for the state’s economy. Tourism is the state’s leading source of income.