located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity honolua
___MASK67___ is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America , having received statehood on August 21 , 1959 . ___MASK67___ 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 . ___MASK67___ is the only U . S . state not located in the Americas . Honolua Bay , Mokuleia Bay and Lipoa Point are part ___MASK79___ an area known as the ahupuaa ___MASK79___ Honolua , located just north ___MASK79___ Kapalua , West Maui in Maui County , Hawaii , United States . The area is a mix ___MASK79___ agricultural and conservation land tended by the Maui Land & Pineapple Company in Lahaina , Hawaii , including coastline management . Honolua Bay and Mokuleia Bay comprise the 45 - acre ( 18 ha ) Honolua - Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District . The island ___MASK79___ Maui ( Hawaiian : ) is the second - largest ___MASK79___ the Hawaiian Islands at 727 . 2 square miles ( 1 , 883 km ) and is the 17th - largest island in the United States . Maui is part ___MASK79___ the State ___MASK79___ ___MASK67___ and is the largest ___MASK79___ Maui County ' s four islands , bigger than Molokai , Lnai , and unpopulated Kahoolawe . In 2010 , Maui had a population ___MASK79___ 144 , 444 , third - highest ___MASK79___ the Hawaiian Islands , behind that ___MASK79___ Oahu and ___MASK67___ Island . Kahului is the largest census - designated place ( CDP ) on the island with a population ___MASK79___ 26 , 337 and is the commercial and financial hub ___MASK79___ the island . Wailuku is the seat ___MASK79___ 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 . The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago ___MASK79___ eight major islands , several atolls , numerous smaller islets , and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean , extending some from the island ___MASK79___ ___MASK67___ 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 ___MASK79___ the then First Lord ___MASK79___ the Admiralty John Montagu , 4th Earl ___MASK79___ Sandwich . The contemporary name is derived from the name ___MASK79___ the largest island , ___MASK67___ Island . An island or isle is any piece ___MASK79___ 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 ___MASK79___ geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago , e . g . the ___MASK41___ .