Tuvalu. Tonga. Tokelau. Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands. Pitcairn Islands. Norfolk Island. Niue. New Zealand. Hawaii. French Polynesia. Easter Island. Cook Islands. Polynesia. Geographic definition of Polynesia Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς "poly" many + Greek: νῆσος "nēsos" island) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.
The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs.[1] Historically, they were experienced sailors and used stars to navigate during the night. The term "Polynesia" was first used in 1756 by French writer Charles de Brosses, and originally applied to all the islands of the Pacific.