Page 54 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

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Hawaii
Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii
Founded 1845 Incorporated 1907 Elevation 100-300 ft Population 390,738 Metro 953,207
Honolulu, which means “sheltered harbor”, and is situated on the island of Oahu, is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Honolulu has been settled by Polynesian migrants since at least the 11th century.
In 1794, British Captain William Brown was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor. It was soon recognized that this was a very useful stopping off point for ships sailing between Asia and the Americas.
It was king Kamehameha III who developed Honolulu into a modern capital, including modern brick buildings and a palace. The city soon became the center of commerce for the islands.
By this time American missionaries had been living on the island for a while, and it was their descendants who became the first merchants and businessmen in the city.
The Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893, and the country annexed by the United States in 1898. From this time it developed as an outpost of the U.S., and was especially important for the military base at Pearl Harbor, whose bombing in 1941 led to the U.S. declaring war with Japan. The port was also important for exporting sugar cane and fruits such as pineapples.
In the years after the war, and especially after long-haul flights became possible, Honolulu developed as an important tourist destination, and tourism is one of its major industries. Modern air travel brings eight million visitors a year to Hawaii. Pearl Harbor is still an important military base.
Honolulu, 1818.