The Polynesian people are considered to be descendants of the seafaring Austronesian people who themselves originated in the Malaysian region of Southeast Asia. Polynesia is a sub-region of Oceania, located just northeast of Australia and New Zealand. Although Polynesia is composed of over 1,000 islands, the people living on those islands share a similar culture, language, and ethnicity. Over 6,000 years ago, sailors and their families took to the seas in search of more lands. They scattered across the islands of the South Pacific. The process these people used to navigate is yet unknown to anthropologists. Samoa and Tonga are both American protectorates located in Polynesia; Hawaii is also located there.
Which of these best states the author's purpose?
A.) to persuade the reader take a trip to Polynesia
B.) to explain how the U.S. acquired its Pacific islands
C.) to entertain the reader with a Polynesian myth
D.) to educate the reader about the Polynesian people