Hawaii is the newest of the 50 US states (August 21, year 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up completely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying the majority of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia, southwest of the continental United States and southeast of Japan. Hawaii's natural and diverse scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of oceanic surroundings and public beaches, and active volcanoes make it a popular location for surfers, tourists, volcanologists and biologists alike. Because of its mid-Pacific site, Hawaii has numerous Asian and North American influences along with its own vibrant native culture. The state of Hawaii has over a million permanent inhabitants in addition to numerous U.S. military personnel and visitors. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
The state of Hawaii encompasses nearly all of the volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which consists of hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles or 2,400 km. The eight "main islands" of Hawaii are located on the southeastern end of the archipelago. The main islands comprise Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, La-nai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii The last is by far the largest and is commonly known as "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is ethnologically and physiologically part of the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania.
Hawaii's coast is about 750 miles or 1,210 km long, that is fourth in the nation after California, Alaska and Florida.
The states history shows a succession of dominant trades: whaling, sugarcane, sandalwood, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Ever since statehood in the year 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 Hawaii during 2003 was US$47 billion; per capita income for the inhabitants of Hawaii was US$30,441.
The exports out of state include apparel and food. Nonetheless, these industries play only a small part in the economy because of the vast distances to ship to possible markets, like the Western Coast of the contiguous US. Food exports comprise coffee, macadamia nuts, sugarcane, pineapple and livestock.
Hawaii tax burden was quite high. The inhabitants of Hawaii had the highest state tax per capita of $2,838, in 2003. This is in part because social services, education and health care are all provided directly by the state, compared to local government within all other states.
Not all the taxes come directly from inhabitants, visitors help with the tax burden by paying both a hotel room tax and general excise tax. The numerous business leaders and businesses within the state feel that the tax burden is too high; leading to higher prices and a business climate which is perceived as unfriendly.