Hawaii
Syllabification: (Ha·wai·i)
Pronunciation: /həˈwī(y)ē, -ˈwä(y)ē, -ˈwô(y)ē/
Translate Hawaii | into French | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of Hawaii
- a state in the US that is comprised of a group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about 3,000 miles (4,830 km) west of mainland US; population 1,288,198 (est. 2008); capital, Honolulu (on Oahu); statehood, Aug. 21, 1959 (50). First settled by Polynesians, Hawaii was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778. It was annexed by the US in 1898 and is a popular vacation destination. Former name Sandwich Islands.