Hawaii is the newest of the 50 US states (21st of August, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group within Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southeast of japan, northeast of Australia and southwest of the continental United States. Hawaii's warm tropical weather, diverse and natural scenery, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and active volcanoes make it a popular spot for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific site, Hawaii has numerous Asian and North American influences in addition to its own vibrant native culture. The state of Hawaii has more than a million permanent inhabitants in addition to numerous U.S. military personnel and tourists. Hawaii's capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
The state of Hawaii encompasses most of the volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, that consists of hundreds of islands spread over 2,400 km or 1,500 miles. The eight "main islands" of Hawaii are located on the southeastern end of the archipelago. The main islands include Niihau, Kauai, Molokai, Oahu, La-nai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii The last is by far the largest and is often referred to as "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania.
Hawaii's coast is approximately 750 miles or 1,210 km long, that is fourth in the country after Alaska, Florida, and California.
The history of Hawaii could be traced through a succession of dominant businesses: whaling, sandalwood, sugarcane, pineapple, education, military and tourism. Ever since statehood in 1959, tourism has been the biggest industry, contributing 24.3% of the Gross State Product (GSP) during the year 1997, despite efforts to diversify. The gross output for the state in 2003 was US$47 billion; per capita income for Hawaii inhabitants was US$30,441.
Hawaiian exports comprise apparel and food. These businesses play a small part in the economy of Hawaii, however, because of the considerable shipping distance to viable markets, such as the West Coast of the USA. Food exports include coffee, macadamia nuts, livestock, sugarcane and pineapple.
Hawaii has a rather high state tax burden. In 2003, Hawaii people had the highest state tax per capita at US $2,838. This is partly because social services, education and health care are all provided directly by Hawaii, compared to local government within all other states.
Not all the taxes come directly from residents, visitors help with the tax burden by paying both a general excise tax and hotel room tax. The many business leaders and businesses in the state of Hawaii feel that the tax burden is too high; leading to higher prices and a business climate which is perceived as unfriendly.