The term Polynesia refers to a cultural and geographical area in the
Pacific Ocean, bound by what is commonly referred to as the Polynesian
Triangle, which consists of Hawai'i in the north, New Zealand in the
southwest, and Easter Island in the southeast. Thousands of islands are
scattered throughout this area, most of which are currently included in
one of the modern island states of American Samoa, Cook Islands, French
Polynesia, Hawai'i, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and
Wallis and Futuna. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of
Polynesia greatly expands on the previous editions through a chronology,
an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 400
cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events,
places, organizations, and other aspects of Polynesian history from the
earliest times to the present. Appendixes of the major islands and
atolls within Polynesia, the rulers and administrators of the 13 major
island states, and basic demographic information of those states are
also included.