The island group of Hawaii lies 3860km (2400 miles) off mainland USA, comprised of 132 islands and atolls. The state of Hawaii consists of eight islands, of which seven are inhabited and six allow visitors. Oahu contains the capital, Honolulu, and is the most commercialized, while Hawaii is the biggest island. Oahu has two diagonal mountain ranges (the Waianae and Koolau), with many beautiful waterfalls. Hawaii is cloaked in macadamia orchards and coffee plantations. The islands support rainforest, green flatlands and a variety of other climates – in fact, of 13 climatic regions, Hawaii has all but two.

Physically and psychologically, Hawaii stands apart from the USA, with an ethnically diverse population and a rich Polynesian heritage.

When Captain James Cook landed here in the 18th century, Oahu had been untouched by the West. It achieved prominence when the volume of Honolulu’s commercial traffic increased and the US Navy acquired rights to Pearl Harbor.