Polynesia, one of the three major divisions (with Melanesia and Micronesia) of the Pacific Islands, encompassing islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean. Polynesia (Greek for “many islands”) consists of American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Easter Island, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Niue, the Pitcairn Islands, Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Wallis and Futuna Islands.