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People
The population of Hawaii is 1,186,602 (1997 estimate). Oahu is by
far the most popular island, with 75 percent of the state's residents.
Hawaii is the only state where Asians and Pacific Islanders are
a majority of the population while whites remains the largest minority.
About 12 percent of the people are native Hawaiians, descendants
from the early Polynesian inhabitants of the islands. With 89 percent
of residents living in urban areas, mostly in and around Honolulu,
the state is one of the country's most urbanized.
Language
Hawaiian language is melodious yet powerful, and full of history.
The language of today is much different from the language spoken
in the past, and unfortunately there are not many Hawaiian left
who master the beautiful language. A common language in Hawaii is
somewhat a mixture of Hawai'ian and other languages called Hawaiian
Pidgin. The Hawaiian language has 12 letters in it; h,k,l,m,n,p,w,a,e,i,o,u.
Religion
Most Hawaiian's are Christians with Roman Christians making up the
largest group. Nevertheless, almost all of the world's major religions
are represented here. Buddhism also has a large following. For the
most part, Hawaiian society represents a uniquely harmonious fusion
of races, languages, religions, and cultures.
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