Kingdom of Hawai'i

Not to be confused with the 1795 .
Hawaiʻi, officially the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi is a sovereign independent state located in the Northern Pacific Ocean. It consists of 137 islands and 7 "main" populated, of which are, from northwest to southeast, Niʻhau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Mauʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, and, with a population of at least 1,428,051, it is the second-most populated, only behind New Zealand.
Though the British explorer James Cook was the first European to contact the Hawaiʻian archipelago, there was already a large population colonizing the island, who migrated from Tahiti to the islands in roughly 1000 CE.
When Kamehameha the Great united the Hawaiʻian Islands in 1795, he made many efforts to establish the islands as a British protectorate, predicting future Western colonization into the region. Though this would make the Colonization of the Pacific begin at an earlier time, it would protect Hawaiʻi from future European conquest.
After playing a key part in Allied victory against Japan in the Second World War, the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was rewarded with independence in 1952 as a constitutional monarchy, becoming the first non-Commonwealth country in Oceania to achieve full independence from a colonial power.
Its capital and largest city are Honolulu on the island O'ahu. Its official languages are Hawaiʻian and English.
== History ==
=== Kamehameha the Great ===
Prior to 1795, Hawaiʻi was filled with a collection of warring chiefdoms ruled by separate Ali'i (kings). However, upon the death of his uncle Kalaniʻōpuʻu, the chiefdom was split between him and his cousin Kīwalaʻō, as he was granted guardianship of the war god Kūkāʻilimoku and control of the Waipi'o Valley, while Kīwalaʻō was given the rest of the chiefdom. War would begin between the heirs of the House of Keōua, and eventually, with the assistance of the gods, Kamehameha would secure the entire island of Hawaiʻi under his rule. With the assistance of two Europeans; Isaac Davis and John Young, he would eventually conquer the rest of the island chain after a 28-year-long campaign. Due to this help, and in partial research of European colonization, Kamehameha negotiated to become a British protectorate, and, in 1802, his wish would finally be achieved, as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi became a protectorate of the British Empire.
=== World War II ===
Though Hawaiʻi was indirectly involved with World War II, no major operations would conduct until December 7, 1941. On that day, Imperial Japanese airships would attack the American-owned port on O'ahu, Pearl Harbor. Due to the region of the port owned by the United States being small, much spillover would occur; culminating in an attack on Honolulu itself. This would cause a massive increase of Hawaiʻian revanchism and military presence, with Hawaiʻian soldiers being key in retaking many Japanese-occupied territories, most notably the Philippines and Guam, where roughly 37% of the Allied soldiers were citizens of Hawaiʻi. It was due to these efforts that Hawaiʻi would gain independence from the British Empire in 1952.
=== Apartheid ===
After the independence of Hawaiʻi was achieved, there was much confusion and debate on whether to become a republic or remain a monarchy. Despite being an absolute monarch herself, Queen Liliʻuokalani II would have no desire to remain one and quickly implemented a parliament to achieve a balance between the two political factions. However, this parliament was heavily divided between racial lines, and quickly, ethnically English politicians began a corrupt campaign to divide the parliament. This would cause Englishmen, already a powerful minority, to gain the highest point of social and political power. Though the House of Kamehameha made attempts to stop the spread of their influence, these statements were censored by the parliament of the country. Eventually, under pressure of the United Nations and threats of civil uprisings, the Hawaiʻian parliament was reformed into a system of coalitions which encouraged diverse thinking within the system in 1970. In celebration of the final remnants of colonialism being dissolved, the Union Jack was removed from the Flag of Hawaiʻi in 1971.
=== Present day ===
In the modern era, the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, due to its key location in the centre of the Pacific, is a global economic power. Due to almost the entire population speaking English or Japanese as a second language, it is one of the world's largest hotspots for tourism and trade. Due to this, the common nickname for the Kingdom is the "belt buckle of Earth".
== Geography ==
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi consists of over 130 different islands, of which 8 "main" islands, all of which are heavily populated. These islands, heavily tropical, are mountainous and volcanic. In the year 2008, a great construction project was created, uniting
== Demographics ==
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, being a major trade power within the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is very diverse. With a population of 1,428,051, its largest ethnic group consists of Eastern Asians, mostly from Japanese and Filipino families, at 37.3%. Its second highest ethnic group, Pacific Islanders, almost entirely Kānaka Maoli (or Hawaiʻian Aborigines), consist of 27.1% of the population. Other ethnic groups consist of Mixed people (19.1%), Anglo-Hawaiʻians (12.5%), Native Americans (2.3%), and Afro-Hawaiʻians (1.9%).
=== Religion ===
Though the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi has no state religion, ethnic diversity also creates religious diversity. The majority practice Christianity (63%), mostly Protestants (33%), Roman Catholics (15%), and the Hawaiʻian Syncretic Church (10%). The second largest majority do not affiliate with religion at 24%, and 10% of the population practice Buddhism. The remaining 3% either practice other non-Christian faiths or simply do not know their religion.
The Hawaiʻian Syncretic Church was founded at an unknown date in Hawaiʻi's history during the in an effort to mix traditional Hawaiʻian mythology with Christian beliefs as a Henotheistic faith rather than a Monotheistic one. Though shunned by other Hawaiʻian Christians, it is still growing faster than any other faith in Hawaiʻi.
=== Language ===
The official languages of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi are English and Hawaiʻian, making nearly every citizen of Hawaiʻi bilingual in those languages. Though, many regional languages such as Hawaiʻian Pidgin, Tagalog, and Japanese are also spoken and recognized.
Category:Nations in Oceania
Category:Nations