POLYNESIA, a general name for a number of distinct archipelagoes of small islands scattered over the Pacific Ocean, extending from about lat. 35° N. to 35° S., and from lon. 135° E. to 100° W., the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand being excluded. The islands are distributed into numerous groups, having a general direction from N. W. to S. E. The groups of the equa tor are the Pelew, Ladrone or Marianne, Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert or Kingsmill, Fanning, and Hawaii or the Sandwich Islands. S. of the equator are New Ire land, New Britain, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Fiji, New Caledonia, Naviga tor, Friendly, Cook's or Harvey, and the Society Islands, the Low Archipelago, the Marquesas Islands, and the isolated Easter Island. The term Polynesia is sometimes restricted to the groups most centrally situated in the Pacific; the New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, New Britain, New Ireland (Bismarck Archi pelago), etc., being classed together as Melanesia, whereas the Carolines, La drones, Marshall Islands, etc., form Micronesia. The islands may be divided into two chief classes, volcanic and coral islands. Some of the former rise to a great height, the highest peak in the Pacific, Mauna Loa, in Hawaii, reaching 13,600 feet. The principal groups of these are the Friendly, the Sandwich, the Marquesas, and the Navigator Islands.
The coral islands comprise the Carolines, Gilbert, and Marshall Islands on the N. W., and the Society Islands and Low Archipelago in the S. E.
Polynesia has a comparatively mod erate temperature, and the climate is de lightful and salubrious. The predomi nating race, occupying the central and E. portion of Polynesia, is of Malay origin, with oval faces, wide nostrils, and large ears. Their language is split up into numerous dialects. The other lead ing race is of negroid or Papuan origin, with negro-like features and crisp mop like hair. They are confined to Western Polynesia, and speak numerous distinct dialects. Christianity has been intro duced into a great many of the islands, and a large number of them are under the control of one or other of the Euro pean powers. The commercial products consist chiefly of cocoanuts, cotton, coffee, sugar, fruits, pearls, and tre pang. The Ladrones were discovered by Magellan in 1521, the Marquesas by Mandafia in 1595, but it was not till 1767 that Wallis, and subsequently Cook, explored and described the chief islands. Since the natives came in contact with the whites their numbers have greatly decreased.