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42-466: The first name for the upper house of the legislature was Atoa o Aliʻi (“Assembly of Paramount Aliʻis ”) when established in 1948. It was replaced with the current American Samoa Senate in 1953. American Samoa became a United States territory in 1900 and was initially administered by the Navy . From 1905, annual meetings were held with delegates sent from the local communities, as an advisory council to

84-601: A great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain , formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle . The islands are about 1,860 miles (3,000 km) from the nearest continent and are part of the Polynesia subregion of Oceania . The U.S. state of Hawaii occupies the archipelago almost in its entirety (including the mostly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ), with

126-633: A total land area of 6,423.4 square miles (16,636.5 km ). Except for Midway, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States, these islands and islets are administered as Hawaii —the 50th state of the United States. The eight major islands of Hawaii (Windward Islands) are listed above. All except Kaho'olawe are inhabited. The state of Hawaii counts 137 "islands" in the Hawaiian chain. This number includes all minor islands (small islands), islets (even smaller islands) offshore of

168-508: Is not directly elected by the voting population. Instead, the Senate's voting franchise is strictly limited to the various chiefs of the islands. 14°16′42″S 170°41′20″W  /  14.2782°S 170.6890°W  / -14.2782; -170.6890 Ali%CA%BBi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands . They were part of a hereditary line of rulers,

210-589: Is relatively fluid compared with magmas typically involved in more explosive eruptions, such as the andesitic magmas that produce some of the spectacular and dangerous eruptions around the margins of the Pacific basin. Hawaiʻi island (the Big Island) is the biggest and youngest island in the chain, built from five volcanoes. Mauna Loa , taking up over half of the Big Island, is the largest shield volcano on

252-533: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory run by the USGS . Hawaii accounted for 7.3% of the United States' reported earthquakes with a magnitude 3.5 or greater from 1974 to 2003, with a total 1533 earthquakes. Hawaii ranked as the state with the third most earthquakes over this time period, after Alaska and California . On October 15, 2006, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 off

294-620: The North Pacific Ocean , extending some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the island of Hawaiʻi in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll . Formerly called the Sandwich Islands by Europeans (not by Kānaka Maoli , the people native to the islands), the present name for the archipelago is derived from the name of its largest island, Hawaiʻi. The archipelago sits on the Pacific plate . The islands are exposed peaks of

336-598: The Society Islands around 1025 to 1120 C.E., and in the Marquesas Islands sometime between 1100 and 1200 C.E. Polynesians arrived sometime between 940 and 1200 AD. Kamehameha I , the ruler of the island of Hawaii, conquered and unified the islands for the first time, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795. The kingdom became prosperous and important for its agriculture and strategic location in

378-564: The list of extinct animals of the Hawaiian Islands . As of 2009 , many of the remaining endemic species are considered endangered . On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush issued a public proclamation creating Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Monument encompasses the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and surrounding waters, forming the largest marine wildlife reserve in

420-566: The naval governor . In 1948, a bicameral legislature was established, still in advisory capacity. The upper house, named the House of Ali‘i , was composed of 12 members, being the seven high chiefs of Tutuila and the five high chiefs of Manu‘a . This legislature was reformed in 1952, after administration of American Samoa had been transferred to the Department of the Interior . Members of

462-553: The noho aliʻi . Cognates of the word aliʻi have a similar meaning in other Polynesian languages; in Māori it is pronounced " ariki " and in Tahitian ari'i . In ancient Hawaiian society, the aliʻi were hereditary nobles (a social class or caste ). The aliʻi consisted of the higher and lesser chiefs of the various levels on the islands. The noho aliʻi were the ruling chiefs . The aliʻi were believed to be descended from

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504-510: The trade winds on their north and east flanks (the windward side) as a result of orographic precipitation . Coastal areas in general and especially the south and west flanks, or leeward sides, tend to be drier. In general, the lowlands of Hawaiian Islands receive most of their precipitation during the winter months (October to April). Drier conditions generally prevail from May to September. The tropical storms , and occasional hurricanes , tend to occur from July through November. During

546-641: The 1820s based on a census conducted by American missionaries, 82,203 in the 1850 Hawaiian Kingdom census, 40,622 in the final Hawaiian Kingdom census of 1890, 39,504 in the sole census by the Republic of Hawaii in 1896, and 37,656 in the first census conducted by the United States in 1900. Thereafter the Native Hawaiian population in Hawaii increased with every census, reaching 680,442 in 2020 (including people of mixed heritage). In 1893 Queen Liliʻuokalani

588-489: The Big Island. The volcanoes on the remaining islands are extinct as they are no longer over the Hawaii hotspot. The Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount is an active submarine volcano that is expected to become the newest Hawaiian island when it rises above the ocean's surface in 10,000–100,000 years. Hazards from these volcanoes include lava flows that can destroy and bury the surrounding surface, volcanic gas emissions, earthquakes and tsunamis listed above, submarine eruptions affecting

630-625: The Earth. The measurement from sea level to summit is more than 2.5 miles (4 km), from sea level to sea floor about 3.1 miles (5 km). The Hawaiian Islands have many earthquakes , generally triggered by and related to volcanic activity. Seismic activity, as a result, is currently highest in the southern part of the chain. Both historical and modern earthquake databases have correlated higher magnitude earthquakes with flanks of active volcanoes, such as Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The combination of erosional forces, which cause slumping and landslides, with

672-656: The Hawaiian Islands is a topic of continuing debate. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate a settlement as early as 124 AD. Captain James Cook , RN , visited the islands on January 18, 1778, and named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of The 4th Earl of Sandwich , who as the First Lord of the Admiralty was one of his sponsors. This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name "Hawaii" gradually began to take precedence. The Hawaiian Islands have

714-419: The Hawaiian Islands. Explosive volcanic activity can cause tsunamis. The island of Molokaʻi had a catastrophic collapse or debris avalanche over a million years ago; this underwater landslide likely caused tsunamis. The Hilina Slump on the island of Hawaiʻi is another potential place for a large landslide and resulting tsunami. The city of Hilo on the Big Island has been most affected by tsunamis, where

756-466: The House of Ali‘i became advisors to the governor, while a new upper house, named the Senate, was established. There were 15 senators, five from each of the three districts of American Samoa ( Western , Eastern and Manu‘a ). Senators were elected in open meetings, according to Samoan custom , and had to be holders of a matai title. In 1960, the first constitution of American Samoa was adopted. The Senate became composed of 15 members: one from each of

798-625: The Pacific. Kamehameha was aided by European military technology that became available once an expedition led by British explorer James Cook reached the islands in 1778, the first sustained contact with Europeans. American immigration, led by Protestant missionaries , and Native Hawaiian emigration, mostly on whaling ships but also in high numbers as indentured servants and as forced labour, began almost immediately after Cook's arrival. Americans established plantations to grow crops for export. Their farming methods required substantial labor. Waves of permanent immigrants came from Japan , China , and

840-612: The Philippines to work in the cane and pineapple fields. The government of Japan organized and gave special protection to its people, who comprised about 25 percent of the Hawaiian population by 1896. The Hawaiian monarchy encouraged this multi-ethnic society, initially establishing a constitutional monarchy in 1840 that promised equal voting rights regardless of race, gender, or wealth. The population of Native Hawaiians declined precipitously from an unknown number prior to 1778 (estimated to be around 300,000). It fell to around 142,000 in

882-414: The absence of such predators. The growing population of humans, especially through European and American colonisation and development, has also led to deforestation , forest degradation , treeless grasslands, and environmental degradation . As a result, many species which depended on forest habitats and food became extinct—with many current species facing extinction. As humans cleared land for farming with

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924-561: The aliʻi ranks and lines comes from their writings. One kaukaualiʻi line descended from Moana Kāne , son of Keākealanikāne , became secondary aliʻi to the Kamehameha rulers of the kingdom and were responsible for various hana lawelawe (service tasks). Members of this line married into the Kamehamehas, including Charles Kanaʻina and Kekūanaōʻa . Some bore Kāhili , royal standards made of feathers , and were attendants of

966-416: The deities. There were eleven classes of aliʻi , of both men and women. These included the kahuna (priestesses and priests, experts, craftsmen, and canoe makers) as part of four professions practiced by the nobility. Each island had its own aliʻi nui, who governed their individual systems. Aliʻi continued to play a role in the governance of the Hawaiian islands until 1893, when Queen Liliʻuokalani

1008-668: The especially unpredictable nature of the forces that trigger earthquakes, and partially because these events occur at relatively shallow depths. Flank earthquakes typically occur at depths ranging from 5 to 20 km, increasing the hazard to local infrastructure and communities. Earthquakes and landslides on the island chain have also been known to cause tsunamis . Most of the early earthquake monitoring took place in Hilo , by missionaries Titus Coan and Sarah J. Lyman and her family. Between 1833 and 1896, approximately 4 or 5 earthquakes were reported per year. Today, earthquakes are monitored by

1050-508: The higher-ranking aliʻi . During the monarchy some of these chiefs were elevated to positions within the primary political bodies of the Hawaiian legislature and the king's Privy Council. All Hawaiian monarchs after Kamehameha III were the children of Kaukaualiʻi fathers who married higher ranking wives. Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( Hawaiian : Mokupuni Hawaiʻi ) are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands , several atolls , and numerous smaller islets in

1092-473: The importation of industrialized farming practices through European and American encroachment, monocultural crop production replaced multi-species systems . The arrival of the Europeans had a more significant impact, with the promotion of large-scale single-species export agriculture and livestock grazing. This led to increased clearing of forests, and the development of towns, adding many more species to

1134-457: The in-rushing water is accentuated by the shape of Hilo Bay . Coastal cities have tsunami warning sirens. A tsunami resulting from an earthquake in Chile hit the islands on February 27, 2010. It was relatively minor, but local emergency management officials utilized the latest technology and ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. The Governor declared it a "good drill" for

1176-546: The major islands (listed above), and individual islets in each atoll. These are just a few: Partial islands, atolls, reefs—those west of Niʻihau are uninhabited except Midway Atoll—form the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Leeward Islands): This chain of islands, or archipelago , developed as the Pacific plate slowly moved northwestward over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle at a rate of approximately 32 miles (51 km) per million years. Thus,

1218-486: The next major event. A tsunami resulting from an earthquake in Japan hit the islands on March 11, 2011. It was relatively minor, but local officials ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. The tsunami caused about $ 30.1 million in damages. Only the two Hawaiian islands furthest to the southeast have active volcanoes: Haleakalā on Maui, and Mauna Loa , Mauna Kea , Kilauea , and Hualalai , all on

1260-606: The northwest coast of the island of Hawaii, near the Kona area. The initial earthquake was followed approximately five minutes later by a magnitude 5.7 aftershock . Minor to moderate damage was reported on most of the Big Island. Several major roadways became impassable from rock slides, and effects were felt as far away as Honolulu , Oahu, nearly 150 miles (240 km) from the epicenter . Power outages lasted for several hours to days. Several water mains ruptured. No deaths or life-threatening injuries were reported. On May 4, 2018, there

1302-479: The ocean, and the possibility of an explosive eruption. There is no definitive date for the Polynesian discovery of Hawaii . However, high-precision radiocarbon dating in Hawaii using chronometric hygiene analysis, and taxonomic identification selection of samples, puts the initial such settlement of the Hawaiian Islands sometime between 940-1250 C.E., originating from earlier settlements first established in

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1344-402: The pressure exerted by rising magma put a great amount of stress on the volcanic flanks. The stress is released when the slope fails, or slips, causing an earthquake. This type of seismicity is unique because the forces driving the system are not always consistent over time, since rates of volcanic activity fluctuate. Seismic hazard near active, seaward volcanic flanks is high, partially because of

1386-511: The six remaining counties. Under both constitutions, senators are elected according to Samoan custom by the county councils and must be holders of a matai title. Fano Solinuu Shimasaki was the first woman to serve in the American Samoa Senate. As of 2024, the members of the American Samoa Senate are: The American Samoa Senate is the only legislature of its kind in the entire United States , both state and territorial, that

1428-480: The sole exception of Midway Atoll (a United States Minor Outlying Island ). Hawaii is the only U.S. state that is situated entirely on an archipelago, and the only state not geographically connected with North America . The Northwestern islands (sometimes called the Leeward Islands) and surrounding seas are protected as a National Monument and World Heritage Site . The date of the first settlements of

1470-413: The southeast island is volcanically active, whereas the islands on the northwest end of the archipelago are older and typically smaller, due to longer exposure to erosion . The age of the archipelago has been estimated using potassium-argon dating methods. From this study and others, it is estimated that the northwesternmost island, Kure Atoll , is the oldest at approximately 28 million years (Ma); while

1512-406: The southeasternmost island, Hawaiʻi , is approximately 0.4 Ma (400,000 years). The only active volcanism in the last 200 years has been on the southeastern island, Hawaiʻi, and on the submerged but growing volcano to the extreme southeast, Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Loʻihi). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the USGS documents recent volcanic activity and provides images and interpretations of

1554-541: The then 14 counties, elected for four-year terms, and an additional senator rotating from the then four counties of the Western District, elected for two-year terms. In 1967, the revised constitution modified the Senate to 18 members, all elected for four-year terms: two from the combined counties of Ta‘ū island; one from the combined counties of Ofu-Olosega ; three from Ma‘oputasi county; two each from Sua , Itu‘au and Tualauta counties; and one from each of

1596-523: The volcanism. Kīlauea had been erupting nearly continuously since 1983 when it stopped August 2018. Almost all of the magma of the hotspot has the composition of basalt , and so the Hawaiian volcanoes are composed almost entirely of this igneous rock. There is very little coarser-grained gabbro and diabase . Nephelinite is exposed on the islands but is extremely rare. The majority of eruptions in Hawaiʻi are Hawaiian-type eruptions because basaltic magma

1638-420: The world. In August 2010, UNESCO 's World Heritage Committee added Papahānaumokuākea to its list of World Heritage Sites . On August 26, 2016, former President Barack Obama greatly expanded Papahānaumokuākea, quadrupling it from its original size. The Hawaiian Islands are tropical but experience many different climates, depending on altitude and surroundings. The islands receive most rainfall from

1680-470: Was overthrown by a coup d'état backed by the United States government. Aliʻi nui were ruling chiefs (in Hawaiian , nui means grand, great, or supreme. ). The nui title could be passed on by right of birth. Historians David Malo , Samuel M. Kamakau and Abraham Fornander wrote extensively about the different aliʻi lines and their importance to Hawaiian history. The distinctions between

1722-522: Was a 6.9 earthquake in the zone of volcanic activity from Kīlauea . Earthquakes are monitored by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory run by the USGS . The Hawaiian Islands are subject to tsunamis , great waves that strike the shore. Tsunamis are most often caused by earthquakes somewhere in the Pacific. The waves produced by the earthquakes travel at speeds of 400–500 miles per hour (600–800 km/h) and can affect coastal regions thousands of miles (kilometers) away. Tsunamis may also originate from

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1764-733: Was illegally deposed and placed under house arrest by businessmen (who included members of the Dole family ) with help from the U.S. Marines . The Republic of Hawaii governed for a short time until Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898 as the Territory of Hawaii . In 1959, the islands became the 50th American state . The islands are home to a multitude of endemic species. Since human settlement, first by Polynesians , non native trees, plants, and animals were introduced. These included species such as rats and pigs, that have preyed on native birds and invertebrates that initially evolved in

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