Polynesia
Hawaii's broader region
Polynesia is a region of the Pacific Ocean containing over a thousand islands scattered across a vast triangular area, with Hawaii at the north, New Zealand at the southwest, and Easter Island at the southeast.
The islands share related languages, cultures, and seafaring traditions.
Traditional Polynesian navigation used stars, waves, and bird flights.
Pacific island state
- TahitiFrench Polynesia's largest island
- SamoaSouth Pacific island nation
- TongaSouth Pacific kingdom
- TuvaluTiny Pacific island nation
Fiji · Aotearoa · Marquesas · Bora Bora · Maui · Honolulu · Auckland · Easter Island
Gestural Polynesian dance
- tattooPermanent dermal design
- manaSupernatural indwelling power
- luauTraditional island celebration
- poiMashed taro root
taboo · kava · tiki · tapu · lei · tapa · ukulele · mythology
Determining position and course
- canoeSlender paddled vessel
- wayfindingNavigating through physical spaces
- outriggerBoat-balancing lateral float
- seafaringTraveling by ocean vessel
navigators · stars · celestial · sails · paddling · tradewinds · migrations · settlers
Chain of scattered islands
- atollsRing-shaped coral islands
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
- coralMarine skeletal formation
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
Oceania · Micronesia · Melanesia · Australasia · Pacific · islands · reefs · volcanic
Hawaii
Pacific island state
Tuvalu · Fiji · Aotearoa · Marquesas · Bora Bora · Maui · Honolulu · Auckland · Easter Island · Cook Islands
hula
Gestural Polynesian dance
poi · taboo · kava · tiki · tapu · lei · tapa · ukulele · mythology · folklore
navigation
Determining position and course
- canoeSlender paddled vessel
- wayfindingNavigating through physical spaces
- outriggerBoat-balancing lateral float
seafaring · navigators · stars · celestial · sails · paddling · tradewinds · migrations · settlers · waka
archipelago
Chain of scattered islands
tropical · Oceania · Micronesia · Melanesia · Australasia · Pacific · islands · reefs · volcanic · remote
coral
Marine skeletal formation
- reefUnderwater rock or coral formation
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
- dolphinEcholocating marine mammal
whale · shark · sea turtle · fish · pearl · seafood · tide · waves · surf · diving
Maori
New Zealand's indigenous people
Tahitian · ancestry · chiefs · elders · warriors · settlers · diaspora
- islandsisland, isle, isles, islet, islets
- destinationsParis, Hawaii, Rome, Maldives, Santorini
- OceaniaFiji, New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, Tonga
- PacificPacific Ocean, Pacific Rim, Pacific Ring of Fire, Ring of Fire, Oceania
- Pacific OceanMariana Trench, Hawaiian Islands, Challenger Deep, Coral Sea, Bering Sea
- Exotic DestinationsBali, Fiji, Maldives, Tahiti, Bora Bora
PolynesiaMelanesia
Pacific island subregion
Micronesia · Australasia · Southeast Asia · Indonesia · Philippines
PolynesiaEurasia
Combined continental mass
mainland · Central Asia · heartland · interior · Africa
PolynesiaAntarctica
Southernmost continental landmass
Arctic · Siberia · Greenland · Sahara Desert · tundra
- French PolynesiaPacific overseas territory
- Polynesian islandsPacific Ocean island groups
- Polynesian culturePacific islanders' shared heritage
- Polynesian tattoosIndigenous Pacific body art
- Polynesian cuisineFood of Pacific islanders