Hawaii

Congressional Races:
Districts 1 | 2

Population (1994): 1,179,000 (up 6.3% from 1990); 0.5% of U.S. total

Voting-age population: 900,000; 1994 turnout, 41%

Median age: 32.6 years

Median household income: $42,255 ($9,991 above U.S. median)

Unemployment: 5.9% (0.3% above U.S. average, March 1996)

Last presidential election:

Clinton (D): 48%

Bush (R): 37%

Perot (I): 14%

Congressional delegation: Four Democrats, no Republicans

Hawaii is a place of ironies, geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth, yet home to an eclectic mix of cultures. Its isolation has produced 10,000 plant and animal species unique to the islands, and 60% of the babies born here are of mixed racial heritage. Though pineapples and sugar cane once drove Hawaii, the state now relies on tourism and its strategic military position to fuel its economy. The aloha spirit also spawned recent controversy when a lawsuit, now in the Hawaii courts, threatened to force state recognition of gay marriages. This spurred Congress to hastily pass the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows other states the right not to recognize such unions.

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