1. Polynesia

A name applied to a region of over 1000 islands that constitutes the eastern portion of Oceania.

Polynesia is triangular shaped region stretching from New Zealand to Hawaii to Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Some argue that parts of Polynesia also overlap Melanesia and Micronesia.

Within this region are large numbers of islands and archipelagoes, most of which have a unique cultural identity. Generally, islands in the western portion of Polynesia are geographically closer together, and there is a much greater inter-island interaction. Islands in eastern Polynesia are much more distributed, and the cultures have developed with limited outside influence. While most anthropologists believe the Polynesian islands were inhabited by a West-to-East migratin, the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl theorized that this movement could have originated in South American and then moved west. He attempted to prove this in his 1947 Kon Tiki expedition.

Many of the southern and western islands saw considerable fighting during World War Two. When hostilities ended, many American servicemen returned to the United States with memories and souvenirs of the region, which helped feed interest in Tiki culture.

The major island groups in Polynesia include: Hawaii, French Polynesia, Western Samoa, American Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu (New Hebrides), Fiji, Marquesas, and Easter Island.


Updated July 15, 2004