The
Polynesian Triangle is a region of the
Pacific Ocean anchored by three island groups
Hawai‘i,
Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and
New Zealand. The many island cultures within this vast triangle speak
Polynesian languages which are classified by linguists as part of the
Malayo-Polynesian subgroup and thus ultimately derive from the proto-
Austronesian language spoken in
Southeast Asia 5000 years ago. Polynesians also share similar cultural traditions, arts, religion, and sciences. Anthropologists believe that all modern
Polynesian cultures descend from a single
protoculture established in the South Pacific by migrant Malayo-Polynesian people (
see also Lapita).
The seven main Polynesian cultures are from
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