The island is formed of three extinct volcanoes. Swept by strong trade winds, the area is warm throughout the year.
Indigenous vegetation consists mainly of grasses.
Potatoes, sugarcane, taro roots, tobacco, and tropical fruits are grown in the fertile soil. The prime source of fresh water is the rain that gathers in the crater lakes. In 1722 several thousand Polynesians inhabited the island, but disease and raids by slave traders reduced the number to fewer than 200 by the late 19th century. Some intermarriage has taken place between the Polynesians and the Chileans. The island was named by a Dutch explorer who landed here on Easter Day in 1722.