Polynesian Triangle
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The Polynesian Triangle is a region of the Pacific Ocean anchored by three island groups: Hawai‘i, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and New Zealand, often used as a simple way to define what constitutes Polynesia.
The many island cultures within this vast triangle speak Polynesian languages, which are classified by linguists as part of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup. They ultimately derive from the proto-Austronesian language spoken in Southeast Asia 5000 years ago. Polynesians also share similar cultural traditions, arts, religion, and sciences. Anthropologists believe that all modern Polynesian cultures descend from a single protoculture established in the South Pacific by migrant Malayo-Polynesian people (see also Lapita).
The 7 main Polynesian cultures are from:
- New Zealand (Aotearoa in contemporary Māori)
- Hawai‘i
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
- Marquesas (Te Fenua ‘Enata / Te Henua Kenana)
- Sāmoa
- Tahiti
- Tonga
