POP Cultures: Polynesia

Wallis and Futuna is an Overseas Territory of France in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast. The islands’ land area is 142.42 sq km (54.99 sq mi). Mata-Utu is the capital and biggest city. The territory is made up of three main volcanic tropical islands and a number of tiny islets. It is split into two island groups that lie about 260 km (160 mi) apart, namely Wallis Islands (Uvea) in the northeast, and Hoorn Islands (also called the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, including Futuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabited Alofi Island.

Tuvalu consists of nine low lying atolls in the South Pacific located midway between Hawai’i and Australia. It is comprised of three reef islands and six atolls. Its nearest neighbors are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 sq km (10 sq mi).

Tokelau consists of three tropical coral atolls (from the northwest, Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo), as well as Swains Island, which is governed as part of American Samoa, with a combined land area of 4 sq mi. Its capital rotates yearly between the three atolls. Tokelau lies north of the Samoan Islands, Swains Island being the nearest, east of Tuvalu, south of the Phoenix Islands, southwest of the more distant Line Islands, and northwest of the Cook Islands.

Samoa includes nine inhabited islands on top of a submarine mountain range. The largest islands are Savai’i at 703 sq mi (1820 sq km) and Upolu at 430 sq mi (1114 sq km), on which the capital, Apia, is located. The capital and port were developed around Apia Bay and the 13 villages that surround it.

Pitcairn is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. The four islands – Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno – are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 47 sq km (18 sq mi). Only Pitcairn, the second largest island measuring about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) from east to west, is inhabited. The islands’ administrative headquarters are situated in Auckland, New Zealand.

Originally, Norfolk was settled (perhaps only seasonally) by East Polynesians some 1,000 years ago. The fact that no human remains from this period have ever come to light may indicate that the people came and went without permanently settling on Norfolk.

Niue, off the coast of Tonga, is one of the world’s largest coral islands. With a landmass of 259 sq km, it lies about 2,400 km northeast of New Zealand. The terrain consists of steep limestone cliffs along the coast with a central plateau rising to about 60 meters (180 feet) above sea level. A coral reef surrounds the island, with the only major break in the reef being in the central western coast, close to the capital, Alofi. A notable feature is the number of limestone caves found close to the coast.

Before World War II, most Māori lived with other members of their tribes in rural areas of New Zealand. During the 1940s, many young Māori not eligible for military service worked in industries in the cities. From the 1950s, there was a growing demand for labor in the cities, and by 2013, 84% of Māori were living in towns or cities. Most headed to the cities in search of work, but they were also hoping for money, fun and adventure. Initially, some Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) resisted the migration of Māori, but over time, friendships developed and intermarriage increased. The government encouraged Māori to leave rural areas, and to adapt to European society. By the 1960s, there was a generation of young Māori who had been born in the cities. Many did not know about their tribal roots.

Hawai’i encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which is comprised of hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 mi (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are (in order from northwest to southeast): Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawai’i. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the “Big Island” or “Hawai’i Island” to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago.

The islands of French Polynesia make up a total land area of 3,521 sq km (1,359 sq mi), scattered over more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) of ocean in the South Pacific. French Polynesia is divided into five groups of islands: The Society Islands archipelago composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands; the Tuamotu Archipelago; the Gambier Islands; the Marquesas Islands; and the Austral Islands. Among its 118 islands and atolls, 67 are inhabited. Tahiti, in the Society Islands, is the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the collectivity, Pape’ete. About 68% of the population of the islands lived in Pape’ete in 2012. Although not an integral part of its territory, Clipperton Island was administered from French Polynesia until 2007. The highest point of French Polynesia is Mount Orohena in Tahiti.