Hawaii

Hawaii (Hawaiian/Hawaiian English: Hawai‘i, with the ‘okina; also, historically, the Sandwich Islands) is the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Admitted on August 21, 1959, Hawaii constitutes the 50th state of the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census it had a population of 1,211,537 people. Honolulu is the largest city and the state capital.

Economy

The history of Hawai‘i can be traced through a succession of dominating industries: sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Since statehood was achieved in 1959, tourism continues to be the largest industry in Hawai‘i. Most recently, new efforts were created to diversify the economy. The total gross output for the state in 2003 was USD $47 billion. Per capita income for Hawai‘i residents was USD $30,441.

Related Topics:
Industries - Sandalwood - Whaling - Sugarcane - Pineapple - Military - Tourism - Education - 1959 - 2003

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Industrial exports from Hawai‘i include food processing and apparel. However, because of the considerable shipping distance to markets on the west coast of the United States and ports of Japan, these industries play a small role in the Hawai‘i economy. The main agricultural exports are nursery stock and flowers, coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock, and sugar cane. Agricultural sales for 2002, according to the Hawai‘i Agricultural Statistics Service, were USD $370.9 million from diversified agriculture, USD $100.6 million from pineapple, and USD $64.3 million from sugarcane.

Related Topics:
Japan - Nursery - Stock - Flower - Coffee - Macadamia nut - Pineapple - Livestock - Sugar cane - 2002

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Hawaii is known for its relatively high per capita state tax burden. In the years 2002 and 2003, Hawai'i residents had the highest state tax per capita at USD $2,757 and USD $2,838 respectively. This rate can be explained partly by the fact that services such as education, health care and social services are all rendered at the state level — as opposed to the municipal level as all other states. Also, millions of tourists contribute to the collection figure by paying the general excise tax and hotel room tax. Therefore, not all the taxes collected come directly from residents. However, business leaders have often considered the state's tax burden as being too high, contributing to both higher prices and the perception of an unfriendly business climate http://starbulletin.com/2004/05/21/news/story1.html. For more information about commercial industries in Hawai‘i, see the list of businesses in Hawai‘i.

Related Topics:
2002 - 2003 - General excise tax - List of businesses in Hawai‘i

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