A Polynesian Puzzle Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Oceania is divided into three subregions - Melanesia, or dark islands, Micronesia, or tiny islands, and Polynesia, or many islands. There are an estimated 1,000 islands in Polynesia; its geographic area is so large that a landmass that is the size of North and South America could fit inside! Polynesia's landmass, however, is very small in comparison, with about 310,000 square kilometers (117,000 square miles). Most of the landmass of Polynesia is contained within New Zealand, which is approximately 270,000 square kilometers (103,000 square miles) and Hawaii, which is approximately 16,637 square kilometers (6,423 square miles).

When drawn on the map, Polynesia looks like a roughly-made triangle and is, in fact, called the Polynesian Triangle. Hawaii, New Zealand, and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) form the three corners. The islands found in the triangle were either made by volcanoes, like the Hawaiian Islands, or were once part of ancient Zelandia, a land crust that broke off from Gondwanaland about 83-71 millions years ago and is estimated to be 94% submerged today.

Polynesia is more than a geographic region on a map, though. It is also a culture region, with the people sharing many similar characteristics, such as language, social and political organization, religious beliefs, and navigational skills. Approximately 3,000 years ago the Lapita people began migrations from New Guinea, first arriving in Samoa and Tonga, which are known as the Cradle of Polynesia. About 1,000 years later it is believed that other migrations began, with the Māori of New Zealand making the most recent.

In the 1800s, much of Polynesia was explored and colonized by foreign powers. A subregion of Polynesia is called French Polynesia, which contains 121 islands, including Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Maupiti. Samoa, Tuvalu, New Zealand, and Tonga are sovereign states, while Rapa Nui is a territory of Chile. The Cook Islands and Niue have formed an association with New Zealand, and Pitcairn Island, largely inhabited by descendants of those involved in the famous mutiny on the Bounty, is a British Overseas Territory. Hawaii is a state of the United States.