Hawaii is both the newest of the American states and the most remote, drifting as it does halfway across the Pacific Ocean. Its culture is evocative of this detachment from the continental states and incorporates elements of Polynesian, Asian and American influences into a rich synthesis which is unique to the islands.
Hawaii is renowned for beaches and sunshine and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States; its indigenous culture can at times get lost amidst the clamour of the tourist trade.
Many famous writers journeyed to this unlikely American state and wrote about their experience. Robert Louis Stevenson describes his time in Kalaupapa on Molokai, while Mark Twain includes a witty account of Maui and the Big Island.
Michael Bay’s award winning film is admittedly a romance, but is also an emotional depiction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, America’s naval base in Hawaii.
Traditional Hawaiian music is evocative of the rich stew of culture on the islands; Hawaiian Song Bird and The Folk Music of Hawaii are two examples of this indigenous music.


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