located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity pua'a ka'a state wayside park
___MASK96___ is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America , having received statehood on August 21 , 1959 . ___MASK96___ is the only U . S . state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands . It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia , occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean . ___MASK96___ is the only U . S . state not located in the Americas . Puaa Kaa State Wayside Park is a state park on the island ___MASK50___ Maui , Hawaii . It is located along the Hana Highway approximately 39 mi ( 63 km ) east ___MASK50___ Kahului . The area consists ___MASK50___ 5 acres ( 2 . 0 ha ) ___MASK50___ rainforest with waterfalls and pools . The park is at an elevation ___MASK50___ 1 , 200 ft ( 370 m ) and roughly 0 . 5 mi ( 0 . 80 km ) away from Waiohue Bay . The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago ___MASK50___ eight major islands , several atolls , numerous smaller islets , and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean , extending some from the island ___MASK50___ ___MASK96___ in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll . Formerly the group was known to Europeans and Americans as the " Sandwich Islands ", a name chosen by James Cook in honor ___MASK50___ the then First Lord ___MASK50___ the Admiralty John Montagu , 4th Earl ___MASK50___ Sandwich . The contemporary name is derived from the name ___MASK50___ the largest island , ___MASK96___ Island . The island ___MASK50___ Maui ( Hawaiian : ) is the second - largest ___MASK50___ the Hawaiian Islands at 727 . 2 square miles ( 1 , 883 km ) and is the 17th - largest island in the United States . Maui is part ___MASK50___ the State ___MASK50___ ___MASK96___ and is the largest ___MASK50___ Maui County ' s four islands , bigger than Molokai , Lnai , and unpopulated Kahoolawe . In 2010 , Maui had a population ___MASK50___ 144 , 444 , third - highest ___MASK50___ the Hawaiian Islands , behind that ___MASK50___ Oahu and ___MASK96___ Island . Kahului is the largest census - designated place ( CDP ) on the island with a population ___MASK50___ 26 , 337 and is the commercial and financial hub ___MASK50___ the island . Wailuku is the seat ___MASK50___ Maui County and is the third - largest CDP . Other significant places include Khei ( including Wailea and Makena in the Kihei Town CDP , which is the second - most - populated CDP in Maui ), Lahaina ( including Kanapali and Kapalua in the Lahaina Town CDP ), Makawao , Pia , Kula , Haik , and Hna . An island or isle is any piece ___MASK50___ sub - continental land that is surrounded by water . Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets , skerries , cays or keys . An island in a river or a lake island may be called an eyot or ait , and a small island off the coast may be called a holm . A grouping ___MASK50___ geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago , e . g . the ___MASK57___ . ___MASK96___ Route 31 , also known as the Pi ' ilani Highway , is a 38 - mile road on the island of Maui in the U . S . state of ___MASK96___ . The state road begins in at an intersection with ___MASK96___ Routes 310 and 311 in the West Maui town of Kihei . The highway formerly ran parallel to the coast all the way to the southern terminus of the Hana Highway ( Route 360 ), until developments in Wailea and Makena blocked access .. The Kihei section of the highway now terminates in Wailea , and the much longer Kaupo section , which is county - maintained as County Road 31 , connects Route 37 near Kula to the Route 360 south of Hana ( at the western border of Haleakala National Park ). The United States Army Corps ___MASK50___ Engineers ( USACE ), also sometimes shortened to CoE is a U . S . federal agency under the Department ___MASK50___ Defense and a major Army command made up ___MASK50___ some 37 , 000 civilian and military personnel , making it one ___MASK50___ the world ' s largest public engineering , design , and construction management agencies . Although generally associated with dams , canals and flood protection in the United States , USACE is involved in a wide range ___MASK50___ public works throughout the world . The Corps ___MASK50___ Engineers provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public , and provides 24 % ___MASK50___ U . S . hydropower capacity . The Hna Highway is a long stretch ___MASK50___ ___MASK96___ Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului with the town ___MASK50___ Hna in east Maui . On the east after Kalepa Bridge , the highway continues to Kpahulu as ___MASK96___ Route 31 ( the Piilani Highway ). Although Hna is only about from Kahului , it takes about 2 . 5 hours to drive when no stops are made as the highway is very winding and narrow and passes over 59 bridges , 46 ___MASK50___ which are only one lane wide . There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east ___MASK50___ Kahului to Hna , virtually all ___MASK50___ it through lush , tropical rainforest . Many ___MASK50___ the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use . That one bridge , badly damaged by erosion , has been replaced by a portable steel ACROW bridge erected by the United States Army Corps ___MASK50___ Engineers .