State profile: Hawaii

Hawaii is historically one of the safest states in the US for the Democrats, although their stranglehold was broken in 2002 when Republican Linda Lingle was elected governor.

With Hawaii-born Barack Obama on the ticket, however, there can be little doubt that the state will vote for the Democrats again in November.

The recent history of Hawaii is one of roller-coaster development. Incorporated as the 50th state only in 1959, it soon become a top tourist resort. But by the early 1990s - with tourism now underpinning its economy - the state was under threat from cheaper competition.

KEY FACTS

Population: 1,285,498 (ranked 42 among states)

Governor: Linda Lingle (R)

Electoral college votes: 4

The ensuing recession cost Hawaii a lot of its visitors and the end of the Cold War saw cutbacks in military spending, which had been another mainstay of the island's economy.

Economic problems made it harder for Hawaii to sustain its highly centralised government and Linda Lingle's victory was partly the result of a backlash against the state's relatively high taxes.

IN CONGRESS

House of Representatives:
2 Democrat

Senate: 2 Democrat

The reasons it became such a tourist destination are still there, though. Sitting in the Pacific 3,840 kilometres (2,400 miles) off the US coastline, with tropical rainforests, endless beaches, active volcanoes and bustling urban centres, the archipelago stretches for over 2,400 kilometres and includes 100 distinct eco-systems.

VOTING RECORD

2004: Bush 45%, Kerry 54%

2000: Bush 37%, Gore 56%

1996: Clinton 57%, Dole 32%

Only seven of Hawaii's 132 islands are inhabited and its ethnic diversity is as varied as its geography. Since Polynesians settled there 1,000 years ago Hawaii has attracted immigrants from all directions and this has given it an enormous capacity for ethnic tolerance and cultural integration.

Hawaii has always been an attractive place for outsiders - around 40% of the state's inhabitants were born elsewhere. The military also has a large presence on the island. More than 40,000 active troops are stationed there, and 120,000 retired military personnel have chosen to make Hawaii their home.

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