group of islands in French Polynesia, in the E South Pacific: 405 sq mi (1,049 sq km); pop. 7,500
See Marquesas Islands in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(mär-kāˈzəz, -səz, -səs)
A volcanic archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean, part of French Polynesia. The southern islands were discovered by a Spanish navigator in 1595; the northern group, by an American seafarer in 1791. France took possession of the islands in 1842.