Polynesia

Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.

Island groups

The following are the islands and island groups, either nations or subnational territories, that are of native Polynesian culture. Some islands of Polynesian origin are outside the general triangle that geographically defines the region.

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• American Samoa (overseas United States territory)
• Anuta (in the Solomon Islands)
• Cook Islands (self-governing former territory of New Zealand)
• Easter Island (part of Chile, called Rapa Nui in Rapa Nui)
• Emae (in Vanuatu)
• French Polynesia ("overseas nation", a territory of France)
• Hawai‘i (a state of the United States)
• Kapingamarangi (in the Federated States of Micronesia)
• Loyalty Islands (a dependency of the French territory of New Caledonia)
• Mele (in Vanuatu)
• New Zealand (called Aotearoa in Māori)
• Niue (a self-governing dependency of New Zealand)
• Nuguria (in Papua New Guinea)
• Nukumanu (in Papua New Guinea)
• Nukuoro (in the Federated States of Micronesia)
• Ontong Java (in the Solomon Islands)
• Pileni (in the Solomon Islands)
• Rennell (in the Solomon Islands)
• Rotuma (an island in the extreme north of Fiji)
• Samoa (independent nation)
• Sikaiana (in the Solomon Islands)
• Swains Island (politically part of American Samoa)
• Takuu (in Papua New Guinea)
• Tikopia (in the Solomon Islands)
• Tokelau (overseas dependency of New Zealand)
• Tonga (independent nation)
• Tuvalu (independent nation)
• Wallis and Futuna (overseas territory of France)