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.

Many Polynesian cultures experienced a flowering in the early contact period, taking advantage of the new knowledge and technology and inspired by the opening of a wider world. Through the nineteenth century, traditional and introduced elements were synthesized to produce distinctive cultural achievements, such as Hawaiian music and the elaboration of Maori wood sculpture made possible by the introduction of metal tools.