Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Islands Formerly Sandwich Islands

A group of volcanic and coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean coextensive with the state of Hawaii. There are eight major islands and more than a hundred minor ones. The islands were settled by Polynesians in the sixth century a.d. and visited by Capt. James Cook in 1778. They were ruled by native Hawaiian monarchs from 1795 until 1893, when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed. A republic was proclaimed the following year, but petitions for annexation by the United States were finally approved in 1898.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Hawaiian Islands - a group of volcanic and coral islands in the central Pacific Sandwich Islands Polynesia - the islands in the eastern part of Oceania Aloha State, Hawai'i, Hawaii, HI - a state in the United States in the central Pacific on the Hawaiian Islands Hawaii Island, Hawaii - the largest and southernmost of the Hawaii islands; has several volcanic peaks Kahoolawe, Kahoolawe Island - an island of south-central Hawaii Kauai, Kauai Island - an island of Hawaii to the northwest of Oahu Lanai, Lanai Island - an island of central Hawaii; a pineapple-growing area Maui, Maui Island - the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands Molokai, Molokai Island - an island of central Hawaii (between Maui and Oahu) Nihau, Nihau Island - the most northwestern Hawaiian island (beyond Kauai) Oahu, Oahu Island - an island of central Hawaii (between Molokai and Kauai); the chief island of the state Midway Islands - an atoll in the Hawaiian Islands some 1300 miles to the northwest of Honolulu; site of an important United States naval base