Abstract

Polynesia is conventionally described as a triangle, with Hawai‘i at the apex, Easter Island at the south‐eastern corner, and New Zealand at the south‐western. Samoa and Tonga are the main island groups of Western Polynesia; the Society Islands, the Tuamotus, and the Marquesas are the main groups of Central Polynesia. Polynesian outliers can be found in Melanesia and Micronesia to the west.