Hawaii, called Moku’aina o Hawai’i in Hawaiian, became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959. Sitting out in the Pacific Ocean, about 2,300 miles from the mainland, Hawaii is the southernmost U.S. state.

That’s not Hawaii’s only superlative, either. In fact, Hawaii is a very unique state in several ways. To begin, it is the only state without any territory on the mainland. It is also the only island state, as it is completely surrounded by water. And, quite interestingly, it is the only U.S. state to actually grow in area, as its lava flows slowly but continuously increase it’s size.

Though Hawaii is only one state, don’t get confused: it is actually comprised of eight individual islands. In order from northwest to southeast, they inlcude Ni’ihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kaho’olawe, Maui, and Hawai’i (often called the “Big Island”). The state’s capital, Honolulu, is located on the highly-touristed island of O’ahu.

One of the staples of the Hawaiian economy is their tourism, which is easily understood the second you see a photo of the islands. Impossibly gorgeous white sand beaches, sheer cliffs that appear to drop off into nothingness, water so blue you’ll need to blink to believe it, and a people so warm and friendly that you’ll feel right at home await any Hawaii vacationer.

So put Hawaii at the top of your Must Visit list, because a visit to these islands is truly one you will never, ever forget.