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 Lift Truck Chain Hawaii - The state of Hawaii is the last state to gain entry into the union on the 21st of August, 1959, and is the only state in the United States which is made up completely of islands. In Polynesia, the state of Hawaii is the northernmost grouping of islands, an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. The continental US is located within the northeast, Japan is to the northwest, and Australia is located within the southwest. Hawaii's diverse and natural scenery, warm tropical climate, active volcanoes and abundance of oceanic surroundings and public beaches make it a popular location for tourists, surfers, volcanologists and biologists alike. Because of its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has numerous Asian and North American influences in addition to its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has more than a million permanent people along with numerous visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
The state encompasses nearly the whole volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, La-nai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. The last is by far the largest and is normally referred to as "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania.
Hawaii's shoreline is around 750 miles or 1,210 km long, which is fourth in the nation after Florida, California and Alaska.
The history of the state of Hawaii could be traced through a succession of dominant trades: whaling, sandalwood, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Ever since statehood during the year 1959, tourism has been the biggest industry, contributing 24.3% of the Gross State Product (GSP) during the year 1997, despite efforts to diversify. The gross output for the state of Hawaii in the year 2003 was US$47 billion; per capita income for Hawaii residents was US$30,441.
Hawaiian exports consist of apparel and food. These trades play a small role in the Hawaiian economy, though, due to the considerable shipping distance to viable markets, like for instance the West Coast of the United States. Food exports include coffee, macadamia nuts, sugarcane, pineapple and livestock.
Hawaii tax burden was fairly high. The residents of Hawaii had the highest state tax per capita of $2,838, during 2003. This is in part because social services, education and health care are all directly provided by the state, as opposed to local government in all other states.
Not all the taxes come directly from people, visitors help with the tax burden by paying both a general excise tax and hotel room tax. The various businesses and business leaders in the state of Hawaii feel that the tax burden is really high; leading to higher prices and a business climate which is perceived as unfriendly.
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