Traditional Mathematics in Pacific Cultures

Abstract

The three traditional regions of the Pacific are Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Polynesia lies in the east, and is roughly contained in the triangle with corners in New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island. The northwest boundary bends somewhat, excluding Fiji but including Tuvalu (the former Ellice Islands) and Kapingamarangi. The main parts of Polynesia, besides those places already mentioned, include Tonga, Samoa, French Polynesia (the Austral Islands, the Cook Islands, the Society Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago), and the Marquesas Islands. Melanesia starts in Papua/New Guinea and extends east and southeast to Polynesia. Included in Melanesia are the Bismarck Archipelago (the Admiralty Islands, New Britain, New Ireland), the islands of the Torres Straight, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu (the New Hebrides), Santa Cruz, the Banks Islands, and Fiji. Micronesia lies to the north of Melanesia and includes the Marshall Islands, the Marianas (including Guam), Kiribati (the Gilbert Islands), and the Caroline Islands (including Yap, Chuuk or Truk, Palau, and Pohnpei). There is some disagreement among writers as to exactly where to draw the boundaries for the regions, and among the people living near the boundaries one can frequently observe traits of more than one region.