Sunday stamps - islands

Today's Sunday Stamps topic is islands.

I'm going to cheat a tiny bit with my island choice of Hawaii (or Hawai'i), as it is part of the US and hasn't issued its own stamps since approximately 1900.

A set of Aloha Hawaiian Shirt stamps had its first day of issue ceremony in Honolulu, January 19, 2012. The 32c stamps were for the domestic postcard rate that year. I have received just one of the set.

I also have a pineapple prestamped postcard (slightly covered up, unfortunately, since the 26c is 8c less than the current postcard rate of 34c. Pineapples are a major export crop in Hawaii, having been introduced from their native South America in the 1800s by the Spanish.

And finally one from the Flags of our Nation series. Hawaii became the 50th (and to date the last) US state in 1959, the only state made up entirely of islands, and it's flag is the only US state flag to incorporate the Union jack. The eight stripes represent the eight major islands that make up the archipelago. On the stamp itself you can see a mountainous island in the distance. The stamp also shows ferns and an ohia tree with lehua flowers. Interestingly the stamp uses the spelling Hawai'i, rather than the official Hawaii. Locally, both versions seem to be used.

According to wikipedia, British explorer James Cook is one of the earliest, if not the first, European visitors to Hawaii. He visited more than once, and unfortunately upset the locals by kidnapping the King of the Big Island to bargain for return of his ship, and the king's supporters killed him.

I've never been to Hawaii, but I think you get a nicer welcome these days. Particularly if you don't kidnap any of the local officials.