Honolulu

The area's geography and Honolulu Harbor have long made it desirable as a port, accounting for the city's growth and importance in the Hawaiian archipelago and the broader Pacific region. Honolulu has been the capital of Hawaii since 1845, first as seat of the independent Hawaiian Kingdom until the kingdom's overthrow in 1893, then of the U.S. territory established after annexation in 1898, and since 1959 of the state of Hawaii. The city gained worldwide recognition following the Empire of Japan's attack on nearby Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which prompted the entry of the U.S. into World War II; the harbor remains a major U.S. Navy base, hosting the United States Pacific Fleet, the world's largest naval command.

Honolulu is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city and state capital.