Hawaii was the last state to join the United States. It became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the southernmost state in the country. It also is the only state made up entirely of islands.Hawaii is nicknamed the Aloha State. Aloha is a greeting in the Hawaiian language. It can mean “hello” or “goodbye.” Most Hawaiians would probably say that aloha is an expression of welcome. Millions of tourists visit Hawaii to enjoy its mild climate and sparkling beaches. Hawaii is made up of 8 major islands and 128 islets (small islands).Honolulu,which is on the island of Oahu, is the capital of Hawaii and its largest city. About three-fourths of Hawaii’s people live on Oahu. The island of Hawaii is the largest of the islands. It is sometimes called the Big Island.Hawaii was first settled hundreds of years ago, perhaps as early as the 600s. The earliest settlers were Polynesians, people from islands in the South Pacific. To reach Hawaii, they traveled more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) across the Pacific in long wooden canoes. For a long time, Hawaii was best known for growing pineapple and sugarcane. Many people were brought in to work on pineapple and sugar plantations. The workers came mainly from East Asia, especially from China, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Today, many of Hawaii’s people have East Asian ancestry.