Capital: Honolulu . The recent history of Hawaii is one of roller-coaster development. Incorporated as the 50th state only in 1959, it soon became a top tourist resort. But by the early 1990s tourism, by then underpinning the state's economy, was under threat from cheaper competition. The Gulf War and early 1990s recession lost Hawaii its status and a lot of its visitors The end of the Cold War saw cutbacks in military spending. The reasons Hawaii became such a tourist destination are clear. 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 3,200 kilometres and includes 100 distinct eco-systems. 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 capa