Where is Easter Island? Open left menu Easter Island Rapa Nui island
Rano Raraku is an extinct volcano up to 150 meters high on Easter Island in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is located 17 kilometers from the city of Hanga Roa on the lower slopes of the Terevaka volcano - the highest elevation of the island.
The slopes of Rano Raraku are relatively high and steep, and collapses often occur. The rock that forms the volcano is yellow-brown tuff with many different inclusions.
On the slopes of the mountain, especially in its southern part, you can see quarries where moai and stone statues of Easter Island were carved. On the outer slopes of Rano Raraku, permanent moai were installed, which had special distinctive features: their eye sockets were not cut out, and some blanks were completely abandoned due to the fact that the craftsmen stumbled upon too hard rock.
It is believed that the Rano Raraku quarries produced statues for 500 years, until the beginning of the 18th century, and 397 moai of varying degrees of completion are located here to the present day.
If you climb to the very top of the volcano, you will see a freshwater lake in the oval crater. In ancient times, it served the local population as a source of fresh water.
Ahu Akivi
Ahu Akivi was restored in 1960 by American archaeologist William Malloy and his Chilean colleague Gonzalo Figueroa García-Huidobro. Their team spent several months raising the fallen statues and returning them to their original positions.
"Ahu" means a raised platform of a ceremonial place, rectangular in shape.
On the territory of Ahu there are 7 surviving moai statues, similar in style and height. Each of them reaches a height of approximately 3.6 meters and weighs about 18 tons. The inhabitants of the island believed that the moai were the great protectors of the island, created to prevent wars and attacks from people and others.
There is a legend that these seven moai represent the seven messengers of the Polynesian leader Hotu Matu.
Unlike other historically important places on the island, Ahu Akivi is not on the coast, but inland of Easter Island.
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Moai Monuments
The islanders themselves call their land Rapa Nui. This was once a lush, forested land. Around the 15th century, nothing remained of the forests - they were destroyed by local residents, but how and why remains a mystery, like the moai - huge stone statues up to 20 m high in the form of a head with a neck or with a body up to the waist.
When talking about the sculptures of Easter Island, we most often have to resort to the expression “according to one of the versions...”. Among the theories of the origin of the moai, there is even an alien theory. But the prevailing opinion is that moai are tombstones for tribal leaders. Statues in memory of respected ancestors were installed over their graves. Local residents believed that stone giants protected them from external invasion and evil forces. Currently, there are about nine hundred moai on Rapa Nui: about 200 of them are standing and about 700 are lying in different parts of the island. In 1770, they were all knocked down; it is possible that this was done by the Rapanui people themselves during the period of intertribal wars.
The Japanese began restoring the statues in the second half of the 20th century. Moai stand on “ahu” platforms, the most famous is Ahu Tongariki, where 15 figures stand in a row on the ocean coast. Nearby there is a quarry where unfinished stone heads remain, and the tools used to carve the statues are thrown nearby. The Moai weigh several tons, and it is unclear how they were transported from the quarry to various parts of the island. Most likely, the builders used wooden sleds and blocks, cutting down the forest, as a result of which the skeleton became almost barren.
The question is still open: who the islanders themselves are, where they came from and when they settled on the island. The famous explorer and traveler Thor Heyerdahl believed that people came here partly from Polynesia, partly from South America, possibly from Peru. In order to prove this theory, Heyerdahl, along with several enthusiasts, sailed from the coast of Peru to Easter Island on a homemade raft, the Kon-Tiki, in 1947. Modern archaeologists, based on linguistic, botanical and anthropometric studies, claim that people came here from the Marquesas or Pitcairn Islands. There is a third theory, the most recent one, according to which the Spanish ship San Lesmems disappeared near Tahiti in 1536. Easter Island may have been inhabited by a lost Basque crew. By the way, genetic testing has shown the presence of Basque genes in the blood of the islanders, so scientists have yet to solve this mystery.
For the most part, the shores of Easter Island are rocky and steep, strewn with fragments of pointed rocks, on which the waves crash noisily. But Anakena Beach compares favorably with other coastal places on Easter Island. This is one of the few beaches where swimming is officially allowed.
Anakena attracts tourists with its sandy shore and gentle entrance to the sea. But the main decoration of the beach is its history. Previously, the residence of the Supreme Leader of Rapa Nui was located in Anakena. In memory of that time, there are 2 pedestals with statues near the beach. On one of them there are 7 of the most elegant moai figures on the island. Most often, tourists come here for the whole day, so there are several cozy cafes and parking near the beach.
Rano Kau Volcano
Easter Island is the most remote and mysterious island on Earth. This island is believed to be of volcanic origin. The soil here was formed as a result of erosion of the slopes of numerous volcanoes, each of which is special in its own way.
For example, Rano Kau is the only active shield volcano on the island. The shape of the volcano is similar to a gently sloping shield with a large crater where there are 7 lakes. It was active for 300 years and fell asleep at the end of 1911.
Currently, excursions are conducted at the top of the volcano. You can get there on foot (about two hours) or take a taxi. If desired, the Rano Kau volcano can be walked around the crater ridge, but most tourists are content with simply climbing to the crater and walking through the ceremonial village of Orongo.
Puna Paw
The Puna Pau district is located on the northern outskirts of the city of Hanga Roa in the southwestern part of the Chilean Easter Island, lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is a picturesque place with green hills, steep paths and interesting history.
In the distant past, red stone was mined here. Ancient craftsmen carved “headdresses” from it, which they used to decorate the heads of the most revered statues of stone moai idols. Red tuff from Puna Pau was also used for petroglyphs.
The proximity of Puna Pau to the city of Hanga Roa allows tourists to reach this place on foot and enjoy the clean air, untouched nature and the heritage of ancient civilization.
Ana te Pau Cave
Ana Te Pau is a huge cave with high arches, in which you can move freely. It is located in the Sector Ana Te Pahu area within the Rapa Nui National Park.
To the side of the cave there are two more long, spacious caves that extend for several meters.
It is believed that in ancient times these caves were used as homes. The remains of a fireplace and a place where they used to cook food were found there.
Te Pau Cave is the largest on the island. Some tourists go into the cave to take photos in the hope that they will find beautiful views and stalactites, but this is not the case. The caves on the island were formed by lava flows, and most of them are still flooded with water.
Orongo Ceremonial Village
The ceremonial village of Orongo is located in the southwestern part of Easter Island. Its founders are considered to be the Polynesians, who settled in these places around 300 AD.
In total, there are about fifty stone houses in the village, and some of them are connected by round towers. These towers served not as architectural decoration, but as a fortification measure. The fact is that the village is located on the edge of the Rano Kau volcano and sometimes it seems that it is about to fall into the waters of the ocean.
All artistic and architectural buildings were created by these people back when they were completely isolated from other cultures.
But the Polynesians paid special attention to rituals and gods. It was here that ceremonies dedicated to the cult of the bird were held. Young men jumped off the cliff and swam in a race to the nearest island, where they had to find a sacred chicken egg. The first man to find the coveted egg was considered the most dexterous and strong in the village, and also received the title of Tangata-manu (bird man) until the next ritual.
Mount Maunga Terevaka
Mount Maunga Terevaka is the highest point of the mysterious Easter Island, Chile. Its height is about 539 meters above sea level. It is worth noting that the total height of the mountain is more than 3,500 meters, but most of it is hidden under water.
It may seem that this height is not so great, but you need to remember that Easter Island rightfully bears the name of the most isolated inhabited island in the world, more than 2,000 kilometers away from its closest neighbors. Climbing a mountain can easily be called a pleasant experience. The surface of the mountain is grassy and porous, so even dirt and rain will not be a big problem. The climate on the amazing and one-of-a-kind Easter Island is subtropical, the average annual temperature is about 21 degrees Celsius, so you can come here all year round.
Restaurant "Au bout du Monde"
The restaurant "Au bout du Monde" is located in Hanga Roa on Easter Island. Translated from French, the name of the establishment means “At the far end of the world.” On the cozy terrace of the restaurant you can watch the sun set behind the horizon in the evening, illuminating the ocean with a crimson light.
Every evening except Tuesday, the restaurant hosts performances by Polynesian dancers and musicians, creating a unique atmosphere of celebration and fun. The restaurant is often rented for seminars or banquets, and various creative events are also common here. Fashion shows, screenings of films dedicated to Easter Island, and tastings of famous Chilean wines are held here.
Not far from the restaurant there is a small picturesque beach called Poco Poco, where you can sit on the shore or swim in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The most popular attractions on Easter Island with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places of Easter Island on our website.
Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places on the planet, still not fully understood to this day. This small piece of land in the zone most remote from civilization has given the rest of the world so many mysteries that no one is able to solve or at least give a more or less unambiguous answer. This applies to the settlement of the island, and to the culture of the people who lived there, and to its writing, and to the world-famous stone sculptures - the moai.
Where is Easter Island
Easter Island is also called Rapa Nui(that’s what its local, original name sounds like). The territory is almost completely isolated, which makes the history of Easter Island extremely unique and amazing. The island is located at a great distance from the continents, in the South Pacific Ocean. Easter Island is a territory of Chile, from which it is separated by about 3,703 kilometers. From Easter to the nearest populated area – 1,819 kilometers (to Pitcairn). The total area of the island is 163.6 square meters. km.
Easter Island owes its name to the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen, who discovered this island on the Easter holiday in 1722. during the course of his journey. The only city of Easter is Hanga Roa, which is the capital. The total population is, according to data for 2010, 4,888 people. In the 95th century, the national park of the same name (Rapa Nui) was ranked by UNESCO as one of the most important cultural and historical heritage sites of the world.
Settlement of Easter Island
Relying on the latest research carried out by scientists using progressive methods, it has been established that Easter was inhabited around 300/400 AD(according to other sources - approximately 900). According to experts, the extreme period in which the island was inhabited is the year 1200, when the forests disappeared at Easter (this was established by radiocarbon dating and is 400...800 years later than originally expected). As legends say, immigrants from other places arrived there with whole families on 2 large pirogues.
However, there is another hypothesis for the settlement of Easter Island. In the 80s of the 15th century, the Incas could have arrived there under the leadership of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, during whose reign this people had their own fleet. Thus, they could most likely reach the remote Pacific islands on balsa rafts.
There is also indirect evidence of this: the legends of the modern inhabitants of Easter Island speak of a leader who arrived from the eastern side, who bore the name Tupa; There are ruins of buildings made in the traditional polygonal architecture of the Incas. Also, strong evidence of this hypothesis is the fact that DNA from the population from the South American continent was detected in the blood of the current inhabitants of Easter Island (the Rapanui people).
According to another theory, Easter Island was inhabited by people from Eastern Polynesia(tentatively from Mangareva Island). In general, several hypotheses have been put forward about the settlement of Easter:
- hypothesis based on legends;
- American settlement hypothesis;
- Melanesian settlement hypothesis;
- hypothesis of Polynesian settlement.
Despite this, the question of how Easter Island was settled remains open to this day. What is known for certain is that before Europeans appeared in those places, two peoples lived on Rapa Nui: the short-eared (they had a subordinate position in the society of that time) and the long-eared (they predominantly dominated, built moai, had a written language and a unique unique culture). During the uprising of the short-ears, every single one of the long-ears was destroyed, and their culture was lost forever.
Easter Island statues
The statues from Easter Island are called "moai" in the local dialect. These are stone idols in the form of a human head, up to 20 m high. They were made in quarries located in the central part of the island and it is not known how they were delivered to the site. As the legends testify, they “walked” on their own. Contrary to popular belief, the statues on Easter Island do not face the ocean - they “look” deep into the land itself. Some of the moai are covered with red stone headdresses.
At the foot of the Rano Raku volcano, the largest number of moai is concentrated - about 300. These are statues of different heights and different stages of processing. Not far from the bay on the island there is a large ritual “site” where 15 more statues are installed. There are also a large number of unfinished statues in the quarries, which suggests a sudden cessation of work on them.
One of the last direct descendants of the builders of these statues spoke about a hypothetical method of delivering moai, which was reflected in his book “Aku-Aku” by T. Heyerdahl from Norway, a traveler. Thus, during transportation, logs and stones were presumably used (the latter recorded each movement of the moai by lining). Delivery could also be carried out using wooden sleighs (sleds): this method is presented by a descendant of the moai builders as the most likely.
The Mystery of Easter Island
The biggest mystery of Easter Island lies in the appearance of people on this remote Pacific piece of land: how and where could they get there? There are many theories on this subject, but none of them is considered final, so the issue of settling the island remains unresolved to this day.
The second secret of Easter Island is connected with the culture of the ancient Rapanui people.: what their writing means (after all, the population in ancient times had their own written language) and how to unravel what is written, since it has not been deciphered to this day.
The third mystery of Easter Island, the most troubling of all, concerns the statues. Why were they built? For what purpose? How were they transported to the site? How was it installed without any perfect devices and mechanisms? How the inhabitants carved these mysterious giants in solid pieces from the hardened ash of the volcano. Why do these mute figures, stylized as human shapes, stand facing the interior of the island and silently watch the inhabitants? Why are they made in this particular form - with a short body and elongated large heads?
But the modern world is able to answer all these questions with only a few theories - no more.
So ladies and gentlemen, I'm stuck in one place! Circumstances themselves somehow don’t really want to change, but to consciously change them means “there’s not enough motivation,” as it’s fashionable to say now. And at the same time I...
Mysterious moai statues Rapa Nui stand in silence, but speak more eloquently than any words about the achievements of their creators. Stone blocks from which statues in the form of a head and torso are carved, with an average height of 4 meters and a weight of 14 tons. The effort to build these monuments and move them around the island must have been considerable, but no one knows exactly why the Rapa Nui people set themselves such a task. Most scientists suspect that the moai were created to honor ancestors, chiefs or other important figures, however, there is no oral or written evidence of this on the island, so one cannot be sure. 
Polynesian society flourished in this unique place after a hardy people guided a fleet of wooden outrigger canoes to this tiny speck in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Here, in isolation some 3,700 kilometers west of South America and 1,770 kilometers from the nearest neighboring island, Rapa Nui has developed a distinct architectural and artistic culture. This culture reached its zenith during the 16th century, when the Rapa Nui carved and installed approximately 900 moai throughout the island. It is believed that the decline Rapa Nui 
followed due to an environmental disaster that they themselves created. It is not yet clear when the islands were first settled; Estimates range from 800 AD. to 1,200. It's also not clear how quickly the island's ecosystem was destroyed - but a major factor is the reduction of millions of giant palms to clear fields and make fires. It is possible that Polynesian rats arriving with human settlers ate enough seeds to help destroy the trees. Either way, the loss of trees exposed the island's rich volcanic soils to severe erosion. When Europeans arrived in 1722, they found the island sparsely populated and largely barren. Today, many tourists come here, mainly to visit the quarry Rano Raraku volcano
How to get to Easter Island
It is a miracle that once upon a time, the Polynesian people were able to get to Easter Island. However, now it is much easier to do this; you just need to buy a plane ticket. When is the best time to visit Easter Island?
The high season on Easter Island is the southern hemisphere summer - from January to March. Although in winter it is also quite comfortable here, the average temperature is about 22 degrees, rarely dropping to 14 degrees. So, you can quite pleasantly spend time here at any time of the year. If you don’t want to meet a lot of tourists, then come in the off-season.How to get around the island
Cars, motorcycles and mountain bikes can be rented and are good ways for visitors to explore the island's scattered archaeological sites. While most people visit Easter Island to explore its history and culture, the island is also home to excellent diving, surfing, and enticing beaches.
Hititeairagi, Rapa Nui, Te Pito o te whenua, Tekaowhangoaru are all other names for the area we know as Easter Island. For most people, Easter Island is associated with something mysterious - and no wonder: it is famous for the huge stone statues lined up along the shore. They look with drawn eyes into the ocean, and this look is both creepy and mesmerizing. One of the main questions is how did these 10-meter idols get there? - still remains unresolved. Tourists flock here in the hope of unraveling the mystery, but return home covered in souvenirs and... without an answer.
Easter Island
How to get there
Easter Island is part of Valparaiso, one of the regions of Chile. There are two ways to get to the island, both of which are expensive. The first is on a tourist yacht or cruise ship, which sometimes come here. You can go on an independent trip and arrive at the port in a couple of weeks.
The second way is by air; there is an airport on the island that accepts flights from the capital of Chile, Santiago, Tahiti and Lima. Flight schedules vary depending on the time of year: for example, from December to March, flights operate only once a week. In other months - twice a week. The flight from Santiago lasts about 5 hours.
Search for flights to Santiago (the closest airport to Easter Island)
Transport
All the attractions of the island are located close to each other, and the territory itself is small. On Easter Island you can take a taxi, bike or rent a car. It is almost impossible to get lost on the island, since there are only two roads.
The average cost of renting a car is from 80 USD per day with a full tank of gasoline. By the way, it is better to refuel completely - this will be difficult to do on the island. Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
Maps of Easter Island
Beaches of Easter Island
There are several beaches on Easter Island, but Anakena is the best choice. Local residents even warn that you can only swim here. There are several cafes on the sandy beach, and in general the local landscape is somewhat reminiscent of the Black Sea coast: there are stalls with cold water on the beach, the natives sell sweets and other snacks, and the smell of barbecue is in the air. Only instead of the sea there is an ocean.
Cuisine and restaurants
There are quite a few small cafes on the island where you can have an inexpensive meal. On the menu you should choose seafood dishes, such as soup or tuna steak. In general, the steaks here are very good - made from meat and fish, with potatoes and herbs. Local beer is soft and very pleasant.
Some restaurants are built very close to the water. They stand on stilts, and the owners of the establishment can demolish one of the walls so that visitors can admire the view of the ocean.
Easter Island Hotels
There is only one town on the island where you can stay in a hotel - Hanga Roa. Most tourists prefer mini-hotels rather than chain operators, and yet the cost of living is rather high. The fact is that many goods are imported to the island from the mainland, which increases their price. The most expensive hotel on the island is Explora EN RAPA NUI. There are 30 rooms, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a bar, a souvenir boutique, an outdoor swimming pool, a massage parlor, and an outdoor jacuzzi.
One of the ways for island residents to earn money is by renting out apartments. At the airport, each new plane is greeted by a crowd of local residents, vying with each other to offer accommodation in hotels or in their homes.
There is also a camping site on the island - here you can pitch a tent or rent a very simple room for little money, with internet access. To get to the campsite, you need to find a guide at the airport with a sign Mihinoa - that’s the name of the place where you’ll be staying.
The shops
The sale of souvenirs is one of the main sources of income for the islanders. In stores and shops you can buy idols of different sizes, from pocket size to 2-3 meters. The main thing is that you can take this piece of wood out of the country to your homeland. Particularly popular are statues of “kawakawa” - either a person or a ghost - and, of course, magnets, necklaces, beads, hats, headbands, and embroidered shoes.
Entertainment and attractions of Easter Island
Moai
Stone moai are carved from petrified volcanic ash. These are stylized human figures with short bodies and elongated heads. The weight of each idol reaches almost 20 tons. According to local beliefs, they contain the supernatural power of the ancestors of the first king of Easter Island - Hotu Matua.
Moai stand along the coast and look out over the island. Hundreds of books have been written and films have been made about the history of their origin, but there is still no solution. Some believe that they were brought to the island by aliens, others are sure that such statues could only be made by human giants 3-4 meters tall. Another version is that these idols themselves came to the island, but subsequently forgot how to walk and remained here forever. There are about 900 statues on the island, most of them are located near the Rano Raraku volcano.
Volcanoes
The craters of the Rano Kau and Rano Raraku volcanoes are another attraction of Easter Island. It was from the remains of Rano Raraku that the moai were made. Unfinished statues are scattered in the pit of this volcano. The view inside Rano Kau is breathtaking - the crater is filled with rainwater, covered with islands of grass, and the sky is reflected in this giant lake.
Orongo village
The ceremonial village of Orongo is located on the edge of the Rano Kau crater. Ceremonies dedicated to the birdman were once held here. In the village you can find many cobblestones on which images of the god Make-Make and the bird-man are carved.
Hanga Roa Church
This is a Catholic church famous for its wood carvings. Looking at it, it seems that the building itself is carved from wood. Crafts work here, and music services are held on Sundays.
5 things to do on Easter Island:
- At the end of January - beginning of February, visit the unique Tapati festival, which probably has no analogues in the world. It takes place at the end of January or beginning of February. “Tapati” is a cross-section of Easter Island culture, and not an export version, but the real one. The natives sing, dance and measure their strength.
- Ascend to the ceremonial site of Te Pito-te-whenua, whose name means “navel of the earth” in Rapanui.
- Have a romantic picnic in the palm groves of Anakena Bay.
- Come up with your own legend about the moai - and then tell it to the locals. They love to hear versions of how the statues appeared at Easter. They will listen to you carefully, maybe they will write down your story, if it is unique, and place it in the collection of works of tourists.
- Visit the village of Orongo and see numerous petroglyphs with images of bird-men and the god Make-Make. By the way, this island invented its own writing - rongo-rongo, which has not yet been deciphered.
Map of Easter Island.
Easter Island (Spanish version - Isla de Pascua, local name of the island - Rapa Nui or Rapa Nui) is an island in the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The name of the island was given by its discoverer, the Dutch captain Jacob Roggeveen, in honor of Catholic Easter, on the day of which the island was discovered. In addition to the native name “Rapa Nui” (translated as “Great Rapa”), the island has several other names: Hititeairagi, or Hiti-ai-rangi, which translated from the Rapanui language means “ Central Abode Earth", Tekaouhangoaru - in honor of the family of one of the leaders of the islanders, Mata-ki-te-Ragi - translated from the Rapanui language means "Eyes Looking to the Sky"), Te-Pito-o-te-henua (translated as “Navel of the Earth”), San Carlos Island (Spanish version - Isla de San Carlos) - the island was so named by Gonzalez Don Felipe in honor of the then king of Spain, Teapi Island is the name given by James Cook, Vaihu or Vaihou is the local native name for the island, which James Cook, La Perouse and Forster used alternately on their maps.
Geographic coordinates of Easter Island: 27°07′ S. w. 109°21′W d.
The total land area of Easter Island and the surrounding small islets and rocks is more than 163 square kilometers.
At the moment, Easter Island belongs to Chile and is an integral part of the territory of this state. Administratively, Easter Island is an area that is part of the province of Valparaiso.
NASA satellite image of Easter Island from space.
Story.
Archaeologists estimate that Easter Island was settled around 300-400 AD by settlers from islands in Eastern Polynesia (thought to have been Mangareva Island). Some experts also date this event to the year 900, and some even to 1200. According to aboriginal legends, the settlers sailed to Easter Island on two huge pirogues, on which people, their household items and animals fit.
There is an assumption, which is confirmed by the local epic, that in the 80s of the 15th century Easter Island was visited by South American Indians, led by their leaders.
At the beginning of 1687, the ship's doctor Lionel Wafer from the ship "Batchelor's Delight" under the command of the famous British pirate Edward Davis noticed a strip of land in the distance on the horizon. The ship did not moor to the island, and only a mark was placed on the maps about the probable location of the island in these latitudes. It's hard to say whether this was Easter Island. Some experts doubt this, and some give the palm of the discoverers of Easter Island to Davis and Wafer.
On April 5, 1722, the sailors of the flagship “Afrikaanse Galley” from the flotilla of the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen noticed an island on the horizon, which the head of the expedition immediately named in honor of the Christian holiday of Easter, since April 5 was celebrated as the Day of the Resurrection of Christ. At the time of the discovery of Easter Island by Jacob Roggeveen, between two and three thousand aborigines lived on it.
After the discovery, Easter Island was forgotten for some time. Only in 1770, the colonial administrator of Peru Manuel de Amat y Junyent, in order to protect the islands adjacent to South America, sent the ship "San Lorenzo" under the command of captain Felipe Gonzáles de Haedo to the island Easter for its annexation. After the Spanish annexation of the island, it was named after the then reigning Spanish King Charles III - San Carlos. Subsequently, Spain forgot about Easter Island, and it was left to its own devices.
On March 12, 1774, the British navigator James Cook landed on Easter Island, at the end of 1787 Jean Francois La Perouse visited here, and from April 16 to April 21, 1804, the Russian explorer Yuri Lisyansky visited on the sloop Neva.
Typical landscape of Easter Island.
In mid-1816, Easter Island tried to annex the Russian warship Rurik under the command of Otto Kotzebue, but local residents repulsed the invaders’ attempts to land on the island. In retaliation, the Russian ship opened artillery fire on the coastal Aboriginal villages, causing significant casualties among the island's civilian population.
On December 12, 1862, Peruvian slave traders captured more than a thousand local residents and took them to work in Peru. The vast majority of the natives died, and those who returned to the island at the insistence of France brought with them smallpox, which reduced the island's population to less than 600 people.
After Chile's victory over Bolivia and Peru in the Pacific War (1879-1883), on September 9, 1888, Chilean captain Policarpo Toro Hurtado landed troops on the island, which announced the Chilean annexation of Easter Island.
Since the 20s of the last century, Easter Island has been repeatedly visited by numerous research expeditions. Thus, in the period from March 1914 to August 1915, the island was studied by an expedition led by the English explorer C. S. Routledge; in the period from 1934 to 1935, a Franco-Belgian scientific expedition, which included Alfred Métraux, worked on Easter Island ) and Henry Lavacherry.
In the 50s of the last century, the Norwegian explorer and traveler Thor Heyerdahl visited Easter Island several times, and his works made a real revolution in scientific ideas about the island.
In mid-1953, the Chilean authorities subordinated Easter Island to the command of the country's Navy, and in 1966 the first free elections to local governments were held on the island.
It is worth noting that during the entire period of his reign, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet visited Easter Island three times.
In early 1995, Rapa Nui National Park was created on Easter Island, which was later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Panorama of Easter Island in a photograph taken from an airplane.
Origin and geography of the island.
Easter Island is of volcanic origin. They are the beginning of the underwater volcanic Easter Ridge, stretching in the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean from the island of the same name to. The formation of Easter Island occurs during a period of volcanic activity in the area, which is approximately 3 million years distant from our time.
Easter Island is more than three and a half thousand kilometers away from the Chilean coast of South America to the west. The distance to the nearest inhabited land area is more than 2000 kilometers. The nearest uninhabited land is the Sala y Gomez Islands, located to the northeast about 1,500 kilometers. The island has the shape of a rectangle with sides of 16, 18 and 24 kilometers respectively. Currently, Easter Island has a hilly-mountainous topography. There are several massive craters of extinct volcanoes here. Volcanoes are located in the corners of the island: Rano Kao, 324 meters high, is located in the southwestern part of the island in the area with the village of Mataveri, Puakatike, 377 meters high, is in the east and Terevaka, which is the highest point of the island at 539 meters above sea level, located in the north of Easter Island. The highest crater of the Terevaka volcano is Rano Aroi, which is essentially a lake filling the crater of an extinct volcano. Another crater of the Terevaka volcano (diameter more than 650 meters) is called Rano Raraku and is also a freshwater lake. The largest in area is the Rano Kao crater with a diameter of more than 1500 and a depth of about 800 meters. The shores of the island are partly flat and partly steep; there are many rocks and pitfalls off the coast, which make mooring to the shore much more difficult. Although the coastline is quite winding, it still does not form bays and bays that extend deeply into the land. Among the more or less significant bays of the island, it is worth noting the bays of Anequena, La Perouse, Hotuiti, Benetou and others. The southernmost point of Easter Island is Cape Yuzhny, the western is Cape Pau Orongo, the northern is Cape North, and the eastern is Cape Cumming. Natural sources of fresh water on the island are represented by small rivers and lakes of volcanic origin.
Easter Island is surrounded by small islets and rocks: to the southwest of the island are the islands of Motu Nui, Motu Iti, Motu Kao Kao, to the east - Motu Tautira ( Motu Tautira) and to the west - Motu Marotiri.
The soil in almost all places on Easter Island was formed by erosion of the slopes of volcanoes. The most fertile soils are located in the northern part of the island, where local residents try to grow yams and sweet potatoes. The most common rocks on the island are obsidian, basalt, rhyolite and trachyte. The coastal cliffs in the area of La Perouse Bay (Hanga Hoonu) consist mainly of red volcanic lava.
The southwestern part of Easter Island and the Rano Kao crater.
Climate.
The climate on Easter Island is quite warm and is classified as tropical. Average annual air temperatures are approximately + 20-22 °C, the coldest month of the year is August, when the temperature, as a rule, does not rise above +20 °C, the warmest is January (during this period the average temperature is about + 24-25 °C). Easter Island is located near the southern end of the zone of south-easterly winds, which blow intensely in the summer. In winter, predominantly northwest winds blow, but there are also southwest and southeast winds. Despite its relative proximity to the tropics, Easter Island's climate is still more temperate than in similar geographical areas. There is practically no heat here. What brings freshness here is the cold Humboldt Current, which is quite close to these latitudes, and the absence of any significant land between the island and Antarctica. It sometimes happens that Antarctic winds in the period from July to August reduce the daytime air temperature to + 20 ° C. The average annual amount of precipitation falling on Easter Island, mainly in the form of heavy but short-term rains, is approximately 1200-1500 millimeters. The greatest number of them falls in winter, from early May to mid-August.
The crater of the Rano Roratka volcano and the volcanic lake of the same name.
Population.
Easter Island, along with the islands of , Pitcairn and , is the most remote island from the continent where people live.
Currently, according to the 2012 census, approximately 5-6 thousand people live on Easter Island. In terms of ethnic composition, approximately half of them are the aboriginal race of the island, which is called Rapanuans; approximately 50% of the total number of inhabitants of the island are descendants of immigrants from the mainland provinces of Chile. The official language on the island is Spanish, and the official and most widely used language is Rapanuan.
The entire population of Easter Island is concentrated mainly in coastal villages, the largest settlement here is the city of Hanga Roa, located on the west coast of the island and inhabited by approximately three and a half thousand inhabitants. Hanga Roa (Rapa Nui) is also the administrative center of the Easter region within the province of Valparaiso.
The region of Easter (which also geographically includes an uninhabited area) is administratively governed by a governor appointed by the President of Chile exclusively from among the local residents.
The monetary unit in circulation on Easter Island, as well as on the territory of Chile, is the Chilean peso (CLP, code 152), consisting of 100 centavos.
The administrative center of Easter Island is the city of Hanga Roa.
Flora and fauna.
The flora of Easter Island, given the distance from the continent and the poor volcanic soils, is quite poor. Here, botanists count only about 30 species of plants. Moreover, most of them were brought from other islands in Oceania, as well as from Europe and America. It is also worth noting that most of the endemic and native plants of the island, which previously dominated here, were exterminated during human colonization. Between the 9th and 17th centuries, trees were actively cut down, which led to the complete disappearance of forests on the island. According to paleontologists, palm trees of the species Paschalococos disperta grew here in large quantities before colonization. The list of extinct endemic plants also includes Sophora toromiro (aboriginal toromiro), as well as the mulberry tree, called mahute by the Rapanuans. Yet, despite the influence of the human factor on the nature of Easter Island, the endemic woody plant Scirpus californicus, common in the area of the Rano Raraku and Rano Kao craters, has been preserved here. Eucalyptus, brought from Australia in the 19th century, quickly took root on the island; in addition, bananas, grapes, sugar cane and some types of melons have taken root here.
In the pre-European period, the fauna on Easter Island was mainly represented by marine animals: turtles, crabs and seals. Around the middle of the 19th century, chickens brought by people appeared on the island. All endemic native fauna of Easter Island either became extinct or were exterminated by humans. Rattus exulans rats, brought here most likely by the first Polynesian settlers, have been widespread on the island for some time, and were used by local residents as food in the past. With the arrival of Europeans on the island, this species of rat was replaced by the mainland species Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus, which became spreaders of diseases and infections among the local population. It is worth noting that currently about 25 species of sea birds and 6 species of land birds nest on Easter Island.
Moai.
Tourism.
Tourism is currently the main source of income for the local population of Easter Island. There is regular air service to Easter Island, which is operated by the Chilean airline LAN Airlines, whose planes fly from Santiago to the island of Tahiti, making an intermediate stop for refueling on Easter Island at Mataveri Airport near the city of Hanga Roa. In November 2010, planes began flying to Easter Island from the capital of Peru, Lima, which made Mataveri Airport international. In addition, there is one pier on the island for small passenger ships and private yachts.
There are several hotels on the island that meet the four- and three-star level of tourist service. Prices for food and services on Easter Island are very high, and this is due to the fact that most goods on the island are imported from the continent.
On Easter Island you can look at the famous stone moai statues, installed on the coast of the island in the form of human heads with a torso and truncated approximately to the waist. In addition, Rano Raraku with 300 moai of varying heights at the foot of the volcano, and the beaches of Anakena Bay with coral white sand, and Te Pito-te-henua (the navel of the Earth), which was once a ceremonial site for the aborigines from round stones, and an observation deck at the top of the Rano Kao volcano near the Orongo ceremonial site, and the small Puna Pau volcano not far from Rano Kao.
Since the end of 1975, the Tapati Rapa Nui festival has been held annually on Easter Island at the end of January, which is accompanied by singing, dancing and various national Rapa Nui competitions.
