Polynesian culture, the beliefs and practices of the indigenous peoples of the ethnogeographic group of Pacific islands known as Polynesia, which encompasses a huge triangular area of the east-central Pacific Ocean. List of Polynesian countries and territories under the UN geoscheme, including Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu, with capitals, population, and area. From their origins in Southeast Asia around 3000 BCE, Polynesian peoples spread across the Pacific Ocean to settle islands separated by thousands of miles of open water.

Understanding the Context

Learn about the Polynesian people, their origins, cultural practices, and contemporary life. Discover the unique characteristics of Polynesian societies and their rich history. Polynesia may be described as the islands within a triangle with its corners at Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, and Easter Island. A Polynesian island group outside of this great triangle is Tuvalu.

Key Insights

There are small Polynesian enclaves in the Solomon Islands and in Vanuatu. Set within a triangle formed by Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the south, Hawaiʻi to the north and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east, the Polynesian islands are dotted across the vast eastern Pacific Ocean. Polynesia—from the Greek for "many islands"—is a collection of over 1,000 islands strewn over a broad region of the Pacific Ocean known as the Polynesian triangle. Learn about Polynesian Culture in the South Pacific, including local food, music, religion, and the indigenous people that live there.