Because the state of Hawaii rests in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is not on any continent. The chain of islands became part of the United States in 1959 as the 50th and final addition to the union.
The six major islands of Hawaii are Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and the State's Big Island, though the state recognizes 137 islands in all. Resting more than 2,300 miles from California, 3,800 miles from Japan, 4,900 miles from China and 5,280 miles from the Philippines, Hawaii remains the most isolated population center on the face of the Earth and is also the largest state stretching from east to west.
