Rapa Nui Map of Easter Island Chile and Easter Island Map and Information - World Atlas Easter Island Description Easter Island History Rapa Nui, or Easter Island as it is known today, is a Polynesian island positioned in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 3,510 km (2,180 mi) west of continental Chile . Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands, with its nearest inhabited neighbor (Pitcairn Island), located some 2,075 km (1,289.35 mi) to the west. Its history is captivating and mysterious to this day mainly because of the nearly 900 (still surviving) monumental statues, called Moai, created by the early Rapanui people. Over the centuries Easter Island and its durable inhabitants lived through colonialism, epidemics, food shortages, internal wars and slave raids....and they still survive. Archaeologists believe that the initial inhabitants arrived between 700–1000, and they journeyed here in canoes or catamarans from the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia. Important remnants of that culture are the massive Moai statues, reportedly representing deified ancestors.

Most early settlements were located along the coastline and Moai were erected there so they could watch over their descendants, with their backs toward the spirit world in the sea. Like most cultures. as population increased different factions surfaced, and internal war was inevitable. On Easter Sunday, 1722, Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen arrived, named it Easter Island. He later reported the island was lined with massive stone statues. In 1770 that was still the case when two Spanish ships sailed in. Captain Felipe Gonzalez y Haedo claimed Easter Island for Spain and renamed it San Carlos. He also reported the island lined with statues When James Cook visited in 1774, he noted that several Moai were lying face down. History reports that Moai toppling continued into the 1820s because of fierce internal fighting, and the British ship HMS Blossom reported seeing no standing statues in 1825 In the 1860s slave raiders from Peru captured 1,500 men and women, half of the island's population. Later those same raiders spread smallpox to the island; a disease that eventually caused a fatal epidemic in the Marquesas islands.

A few years later, tuberculosis, introduced by whalers, killed 25% of the remaining population. In the following years, the managers of a sheep ranch and missionaries started buying the newly available lands of the deceased, and this led to great confrontations between natives and settlers. In the 1870s, because of unsolveable disputes, missionaries evacuated most of the Rapanui population to the Gambier islands. By the end of the decade a mere 100 people lived on the island, and much of its cultural knowledge had been lost. Easter Island was annexed by Chile on September 9, 1888, and the validity of that land grab is still contested by some of the Rapanui to this day. At that time the surviving Rapanui were confined to the settlement of Hanga Roa. The rest of the island was rented to the Williamson-Balfour Company as a sheep farm. In 1914 British citizen Katherine Routeledge visited for a yearlong expedition. It was the first in-depth study of local artifacts and inhabitants. She and her team found connections between elders’ tattoos and the Moai.

She detailed the clan system in a 1919 book called "The Mystery of Easter Island" In the mid-1950s Thor Heyerdahl organized the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island. After several months on the island the expedition published two large volumes of scientific reports In 1995 an airport was constructed and the island was then managed by the Chilean Navy. In 1966, Chile declared Easter Island a province and the Rapanui given Chilean citizenship Today tourism is the major industry, and although isolated and a bit difficult to reach, thousands visit here to experience for themselves the culture and mystery that is Easter Island. Easter Island - Ten Geographic Facts By Amanda Briney Updated November 30, 2016. Easter Island , also called Rapa Nui, is a small island located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean that is considered a special territory of Chile . Easter Island is most famous for its large moai statues that were carved by native peoples between 1250 and 1500. The island is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and much of the island's land belongs to the Rapa Nui National Park.

Easter Island has recently been in the news because many scientists and writers have used it as a metaphor for our planet. Easter Island's native population is believed to have overused its natural resources and collapsed. Some scientists and writers claim that global climate change and resource exploitation may lead to the planet collapsing as did the population on Easter Island. These claims, however, are highly disputed. The following is a list of the ten most important geographic facts to know about Easter Island: 1) Although scientists do not know for sure, many claim that human habitation of Easter Island began around 700-1100 C.E. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Almost immediately upon its initial settlement the population of Easter Island began to grow and the island's inhabitants (Rapanui) began to build houses and moai statues. The moai are believed to represent status symbols of the different Easter Island tribes. 2) Because of Easter Island's small size of only 63 square miles (164 sq km), it quickly became overpopulated and its resources were rapidly depleted.

When Europeans arrived on Easter Island between the late 1700s and early 1800s, it was reported that the moai were knocked down and the island seemed to have been a recent war-site. 3) Constant warfare between tribes, a lack of supplies and resources, disease, invasive species and the opening of the island to foreign slave trade eventually led to Easter Island's collapse by the 1860s. 4) In 1888, Easter Island was annexed by Chile. Use of the island by Chile varied but during the 1900s it was a sheep farm and was managed by the Chilean Navy. In 1966, the entire island was opened to the public and the remaining Rapanui people became citizens of Chile. 5) As of 2009, Easter Island had a population of 4,781. The official languages of the island are Spanish and Rapa Nui, while the main ethnic groups are Rapanui, European and Amerindian. 6) Because of its archaeological remains and its ability to help scientists study early human societies, Easter Island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site 1995.

7) Although it is still inhabited by humans, Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated islands. It is approximately 2,180 miles (3,510 km) west of Chile. Easter Island is also relatively small and has a maximum altitude of only 1,663 feet (507 meters). Easter Island also has no permanent source of freshwater. 8) Easter Island's climate is considered subtropical maritime. It has mild winters and year-round cool temperatures and abundant precipitation. The lowest average July temperature on Easter Island is around 64°F (18°C) while its highest temperatures are in February and average about 82°F (28°C). 9) Like many Pacific Islands, the physical landscape of Easter Island is dominated by volcanic topography and it was formed geologically by three extinct volcanoes. 10) Easter Island is considered a distinct eco-region by ecologists. At the time of its initial colonization, the island is believed to have been dominated by large broadleaf forests and palm. Today, however, Easter Island has very few trees and is mainly covered with grasses and shrubs. To learn more about Easter Island visit Easter Island at Archaeology at About.com.

References: Diamond, Jared. 2005. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Penguin Books: New York, New York . "Easter Island." (March 13, 2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: "Rapa Nui National Park." (March 14, 2010). UNESCO World Heritage . Retrieved from: Easter Island Facts, Capital City, Currency, Flag, Language, Landforms, Land Statistics, Largest Cities, Population, Symbols Easter Island Facts Name: Easter Island (Rapa Nui) (Isla de Pascua in Spanish) Dependency Status: A special territory of the country of Chile, annexed in 1888 Capital City: Hanga Roa (3,402) (2010 est.) Population: 4,888 (2010 est.) Language: Spanish, Rapa Nui Name: On April 5, 1722 (Easter Sunday) Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen arrived, named it Easter Island Name: In 1770, Spanish navigator Felipe Gonzalez y Haedo claimed Easter Island for Spain, and renamed it San Carlos.

Both names are used today Religion: Roman Catholic (95%), others Easter Island - Moai Location Map The Rise & Fall of Easter Island's Culture Easter Island - Moai Location Map Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. It is 3,600 km to the west of Chile and 2,075 km east of Pitcairn. The total area of Easter Island is 163.6 Square kilometres or 63.1 square miles. Easter Island - Moai Statue Scale MOAI TUTURI (Hotu iti) Easter Islanders Rapa Nui Islanders (from left to right), Face tatoos of Tepano 1890. Easter Island's Women and Man 1774. Engraving by W. Hodges, a member of James Cook's expedition.

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Pedra Furada Bolivian Rock Art Campeche Island - Brazil Checta Petroglyphs - Peru Cueva de las Manos Santa Catarina Island - Brazil World Rock Art Easter Island - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Early Settlement The first human inhabitants of Rapa Nui (the Polynesian name for Easter Island; its Spanish name is Isla de Pascua) are believed to have arrived in an organized party of emigrants around 300-400 A.D. Tradition holds that the first king of Rapa Nui was Hoto-Matua, a ruler from a Polynesian subgroup (possibly from the Marquesa Islands) whose ship traveled thousands of miles before landing at Anakena, one of the few sandy beaches on the island’s rocky coast. Did You Know? After the decline of the moai culture, a new cult of bird worship developed on Easter Island. It was centered on a ceremonial village called Orongo, built on the rim of the crater of the Rano Kao volcano.

The greatest evidence for the rich culture developed by the original settlers of Rapa Nui and their descendants is the existence of nearly 900 giant stone statues that have been found in diverse locations around the island. Averaging 13 feet (4 meters) high, with a weight of 13 tons, these enormous stone busts–known as moai–were carved out of tuff (the light, porous rock formed by consolidated volcanic ash) and placed atop ceremonial stone platforms called ahus. It is still unknown precisely why these statues were constructed in such numbers and on such a scale, or how they were moved around the island. Phases of Island Culture Archaeological excavations of Easter Island reveal three distinct cultural phases: the early period (700-850 A.D.), the middle period (1050-1680) and the late period (post-1680). Between the early and middle periods, evidence has shown that many early statues were deliberately destroyed and rebuilt as the larger and heavier moai for which the island is most famous.

During the middle period, ahus also contained burial chambers, and the images portrayed by moai are thought to have represented important figures that were deified after death. The biggest statue found dating to the middle period measures about 32 feet tall, and consists of a single block weighing about 82 tons (74,500 kilograms). The late period of the island’s civilization was characterized by civil wars and general destruction; more statues were toppled, and many mataa, or obsidian spearpoints, have been found dating to that period. Island tradition claims that around 1680, after peacefully coexisting for many years, one of the island’s two main ethnic groups, known as the Short-Ears, rebelled against the Long-Ears, burning many of them to death on a pyre constructed along an ancient ditch at Poike, on the island’s far northeastern coast. Outsiders on Easter Island The first known European visitor to Easter Island was the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who arrived in 1722. The Dutch named the island Paaseiland (Easter Island) to commemorate the day they arrived.

In 1770, the Spanish viceroy of Peru sent an expedition to the island; the explorers spent four days ashore and estimated a native population of some 3,000 people. Just four years later, the British navigator Sir James Cook arrived to find Easter Island’s population decimated by what seemed to have been a civil war, with only 600 to 700 men and fewer than 30 women remaining. A French navigator, Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de La Perouse, found 2,000 people on the island when he arrived in 1786. A major slave raid from Peru in 1862, followed by epidemics of smallpox, reduced the population to only 111 people by 1877. By that time, Catholic missionaries had settled on Easter Island and begun to convert the population to Christianity, a process that was completed by the late 19th century. In 1888, Chile annexed Easter Island, leasing much of the land for sheep raising.

The Chilean government appointed a civilian governor for Easter Island in 1965, and the island’s residents became full Chilean citizens. Easter Island Today An isolated triangle measuring 14 miles long by seven miles wide, Easter Island was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions. In addition to its hilly terrain, the island contains many subterranean caves with corridors that extend deep into mountains of volcanic rock. The island’s largest volcano is known as Rano Kao, and its highest point is Mount Terevaka, which reaches 1,969 feet (600 meters) above sea level. It has a subtropical climate (sunny and dry) and temperate weather. Easter Island boasts no natural harbor, but ships can anchor off Hanga Roa on the west coast; it is the island’s largest village, with a population of roughly 3,300. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage site. It is now home to a mixed population, mostly of Polynesian ancestry and made up of the descendants of the Long-Ears and Short-Ears. Spanish is generally spoken, and the island has developed an economy largely based on tourism.

Tags Easter Island facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Easter Island ETHNONYMS: Isla de Pascua, Pito-O-Te Henua, Rapa Nui Orientation Identification. Easter Island, the easternmost island in Polynesia, was so named by Jacob Roggeveen who came upon it on Easter Sunday in 1722. Easter Islanders evidently never had a name of their own for the island. "Rapa Nui" (also Rapa-nui, Rapanui) came into use in the 1800s and eventually became the preferred name for Easter Island throughout Polynesia. The origin of Rapa Nui is unclear but the name was evidently given by people from another island, perhaps Rapa. In 1862 and 1863 Easter Island experienced a severe depopulation that led to the destruction of much of its traditional culture. Subsequent contact with Chile , which took possession of Easter Island in 1888, has produced a culture containing many elements borrowed from South America . Easter Island is currently a dependency of Chile. Location.

Easter Island is located at 27°8′ S and 190°25′ W, about 4,200 kilometers off the coast of Chile and 1,760 kilometers east of Pitcairn Island, the nearest inhabited island. It is a triangular-shape volcanic high island with a total area of 180 square kilometers. The most prominent physical features are the three volcanic peaks, each located at one corner of the island. The land is either barren rock or covered by grass or shrubs, although parts were heavily forested in the past. Only flocks of sea birds and the Polynesian rat were indigenous to the island, with chickens, dogs, pigs, sheep, and cattle introduced by people from other islands or Europeans. The climate is tropical. Water was obtained from springs and by collecting rainwater. Demography. Population estimates by European explorers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries ranged from 600 to 3,000, although none can be considered reliable. There are indications that the precontact population could have been as much as 10,000 people.

From 1862 to 1871 severe depopulation resulted from the kidnapping of about 1,000 men by Peruvian slavers, a smallpox epidemic, and relocation to Mangareva and Tahiti. In 1872 reliable missionary reports indicated only 175 people on Easter Island. The population continued to decline until the late 1880s and then slowly increased to 456 in 1934. In 1981, there were about 1,900 Easter Islanders on Easter Island and others living in Chile, Tahiti, and the United States . Easter Islanders make up about two-thirds of the island population, with the others being mainly Chilean military personnel or government employees. Linguistic Affiliation. Easter Islanders speak Rapa Nui (Pascuense), a Polynesian language that has been described as closely related to the languages spoken on Tahiti, Mangareva, and by the Maori in New Zealand . Since contact, words from French, English, and Spanish have been added to the lexicon. Because of the Chilean presence, many Easter Islanders also speak Spanish.

There is debate over whether symbols found carved in wood boards called rongorongo are a precontact written language, pictographs, symbolic ornamentation, or copies of Spanish documents left by early explorers. History and Cultural Relations The settlement of Easter Island has been a topic of considerable conjecture and debate. Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki expedition showed that the island could have been settled from South America, although linguistic and archaeological evidence suggests settlement from other Polynesian islands Perhaps as early as a.d. 400. Wherever the first Easter Islanders migrated from, it is likely that, given the remote location of the island, they were relatively isolated from other Polynesians. First contact with Europeans was with the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen in 1722. There is some evidence that because of deforestation and wars between subtribes, the population was already declining and the culture disintegrating at this time. The island was subsequently visited, usually infrequently and briefly, by a succession of Spanish, English, French, American, and Russian explorers, traders, and whalers.

The first major and the most significant contact occurred in 1862 when Peruvian slavers raided the island and kidnapped about 1,000 men to the guano islands off the Peruvian coast. There the Easter Islanders were forced to mine guano for one year during which time 900 died. Facing an international scandal, the Peruvian government sent the remaining 100 men home, although only 15 survived the trip. Infected with smallpox, they spread the disease to those on the island, further reducing the population to perhaps 25 percent of what it had been in 1862. The depopulation, disease, fear of outsiders, and death of many leaders led to cultural disintegration and a loss of much of the traditional culture within a decade. Catholic missionaries arrived in 1863, beginning a small though continuous European presence to this day. Within ten years, all surviving Easter Islanders were converted to Roman Catholicism, with many of the economic and social practices taught by the priests replacing traditional culture practices.

In 1888 Chile annexed the island and subsequently leased 160 square kilometers to the Williamson and Balfour Company, which established sheep ranching for wool. The remaining 20 square kilometers were set aside for use by the Easter Islanders. In 1954 governance of the island and the sheep-ranching business was turned over to the Chilean navy, and in 1965, in response to islander complaints, the island was put under civilian control. Easter Island is Currently a dependency of Chile and Easter Islanders are Chilean citizens. Settlements Since 1862 the Easter Islanders have lived in or around the village of Hangoroa in the southwest corner of the island. European-style stone and wood houses have completely replaced the traditional forms. Before 1862, villages were located along the coast, leaving the interior mostly uninhabited. Dwellings included thatched huts, semisubterranean houses, and caves. Wealthier Easter Islanders evidently lived in larger houses, often with stone foundations. In addition to dwellings, villages often contained cooking shelters, underground ovens, stone chicken coops, turtle watchtowers, and stone-walled gardens.

Economy Subsistence and Commercial Activities. Prior to 1862, Easter Islanders subsisted mainly on cultivated crops, with sweet potatoes being the most important. Taro, yams, sugarcane, bananas, gourds, turmeric, and arrowroot were also grown while berries and seabird eggs were gathered. Fish provided some protein, although fishing was never a major Subsistence activity. Easter Islanders continue to farm small plots today, although maize is now the major crop and Chilean cuisine has replaced the native diet. Since the introduction of sheep ranching, sheep and cattle on the island have been the primary sources of meat. Most material goods are now obtained from the store on the island and from the Chilean government. In addition to farming and fishing, Easter Islanders now work for the government, in a few small businesses, and in the tourist industry. Industrial Arts. Easter Islanders were highly skilled stone-cutters and stone-carvers, masons, woodcutters, and canoe makers. Today, some carve wood images for the tourist trade. The stone-carving tradition had already been abandoned at the time of contact, though the large stone statues survived and drew the attention of visitors to the island.

Easter Islanders also made various utensils, implements, and tools from stone and wood, baskets, nets, mats, cordage, tapa (a cloth made from bark), and body ornaments. Trade. Because of their isolation, Easter Islanders evidently did not trade with other groups in Polynesia. There has been conjecture that some culture elements developed through contact with South America, most notably the facial images on the stone monuments. These ideas remain unproven. Division of Labor. Men were responsible for planting the gardens, fishing, and building the stone structures. Women harvested crops and handled most domestic chores. There was also a well-defined occupational hierarchy, with expert reciters of genealogies and folklore, stone-carvers, wood-carvers, and fishermen paid for their services with produce. Stone-carvers were a privileged group with the role and status passed from father to son. Land Tenure. In traditional times, land was owned by lineages with dwelling and farm plots alloted to families. Since 1888 Chile has maintained ownership of all of Easter Island and has restricted the Easter Islanders to land in and around Hangoroa. Newlyweds are given a few acres of land for their use by the Chilean government.

Kinship Kin Groups and Descent. The population of Easter Island was divided into ten subtribes or clans (mata ), each of which evidently occupied a distinct territory in precontact times. By historic times, subtribe members were more widely dispersed as a result of exogamous marriage, adoption, and capture during war. The ten clans formed two larger divisions, with one controlling the western half and the other the eastern half of the island. Kinship Terminology. Traditional kin term usage followed the Hawaiian system, which has been modified over time to reflect changes in family organization. Marriage and Family Marriage. In traditional times, most marriages were monogamous, though some wealthy men had more than one wife. Marriages were generally arranged, with infant betrothal not uncommon. Today, marriage is by free choice, although the fathers of both the groom and bride are involved in approving and making arrangements for the marriage. Marriages are marked by three ceremonies—a civil ceremony, church ceremony, and a large feast hosted by the groom's father—reflecting the survival of a traditional practice. Upon marriage, the couple generally live with one family or the other until materials can be obtained to build their own home.

In the past, many marriages ended in divorce, which could be initiated by either party for virtually any reason. The Roman Catholic church has made divorce more difficult and less frequent. Domestic Unit. In the past, the basic family and residential unit was the laterally extended family composed of brothers, their wives, and their children. Today, the nuclear family is the norm, although other relatives such as grandparents and brothers might also be present. In the past and today, the father was the authority figure, although today the wife's father has more power than the husband's father and a son-in-law will often seek his father-in-law's approval for educational and career decisions. Under Chilean influence, the role of godparent (compadre ) has developed, and godparents often play a role in child rearing. Inheritance. In the past and today, both men and women could inherit and both men and women could leave property. Socialization. Puberty in traditional times was marked for boys and girls by secluding them on an island for some months and then holding large separate feasts at the end of the seclusion period. These rites disappeared long ago, and puberty is no longer marked by ritual.

The Chilean government provides a school for elementary education and some Easter Islanders attend high school in Chile. Social and Political Organization Social Organization. In addition to social distinctions based on kinship, Easter Island traditionally had four distinct social classes: noblemen (ariki); priests (ivi-atua); warriors (matatoa); and servants and farmers (kio). The ruler was the main high chief (ariki-mau ) who traced his status to descent from Hotu-matua, the founder of the island. In reality, ariki were invested with considerable mana and were subject to numerous taboos, although they had little actual power. Little is known about the activities of priests, as the role had disappeared by the time missionaries arrived. Kio were war captives who worked for others or paid tribute in the form of percentage of their crops. Political Organization. As noted above, the nominal rulers came from the ariki class, with succession to the position of high chief going to the oldest son at the time of his marriage. However, since this marriage was often delayed many years beyond that of most Easter Islanders, chiefs often held their position for some years.

At the time of sustained Contact, warriors were the actual political leaders, reflecting a long history of fighting among the subtribes and the almost continuous fighting that followed the kidnapping of men in 1862. Today, the Easter Islanders are governed by Chile, with a Chilean governor, civil service, and police force providing services. Easter Islander representation is through the mayor of Hangoroa. Social Control. Most early observers described theft as a common occurrence, with items stolen both from Europeans and from other Easter Islanders. Revenge was the major form of social control (actually it often led to warfare rather than peace) in early historic times. Taboos on the king, nobles, various foods, places, crops, death, and so on were a major aspect of everyday life and were rigorously enforced. Taboo violators were subject to beatings and even death. Although traditional taboos have now disappeared, they were still a strong infuence in the 1860s. Today, the laws of Chile are enforced by the Chilean police and government officials on the island. Conflict. Wars were evidently common between the subtribes and especially between the eastern and western factions.

Wars were often for revenge and involved ambushes, burning and looting villages, and the taking of captives, some of whom were tortured. War with Europeans was short-lived, and after the kidnapping in 1862 many Easter Islanders fled to inland caves upon the arrival of European ships. Religion and Expressive Culture Religious Beliefs. The traditional pantheon included at least ninety different named gods and spirits divided into the two categories of high gods and lesser gods. High gods included the creator, the rain god, and the superior god (Make-make). Lesser gods included gods with more restricted powers, nature spirits, demons, and ancestor spirits. Religious ritual included offerings of food and tapa, communication through priests, and chanting. Traditional beliefs have now been completely replaced by Roman Catholicism. Religious Practitioners. Priests, who could be men or women, were evidently drawn from the noble class. Little is known of the role and status of priests other than the fact that they acted as healers and communicated with the supernatural world through possession trance. Priests could also place curses that were considered especially harmful. There were also sorcerers whose skills were used to influence or cause harm to others. Ceremonies.

Ceremonies were held to bring rain, sanctify new houses, and to ensure a rich harvest as well as to mark all major life-cycle events. The annual feast of the bird cult (tangata-manu ) and the feast of the Bird-Man were the most important ceremonies. Arts. The best-known of the traditional arts centered on stoneworking and stone carving. The most dramatic expressions of this tradition are the 600 large (from 20 to 60 feet high) carved stone statues mounted on stone platforms called ahu. The statues are most likely portraits of ancestors and chiefs. Statue carving had ceased by the time of European contact, with some 150 statues sitting unfinished in the quarry and many toppled over. Petroglyphs have been found on the island, and some interior stone walls of houses are decorated with paintings. Traditionally, various body ornaments were carved and both men and women wore body tattoos. The carving of wooden images, which was a common activity in early times, has evolved into a tourist-based economic activity with human images much in demand. Medicine.

Healing was done by the priests who used steaming, massage, binding, a limited pharmacopoeia, and contact with spirits. Today, Easter Islanders use Western medical care provided by Chile. Death and Afterlife. In the past, the body of the deceased was placed on the ahu platform and left to decompose. The bones were then buried in the ahu vault. Much behavior that would normally occur in the vicinity of the ahu was taboo during the time the body was displayed. The funeral ceremony involved a large feast with singing and dancing. Today, Roman Catholic practices have replaced the traditional ones, although the latter survived into the twentieth century, far longer than many other cultural traits. The body is now displayed in the home, followed by the church rite and burial in a coffin in the church cemetery. Interment is marked by hysterical grief. In the evening there is a feast with food taboos for the family of the deceased. Bibliography Barthel, Thomas (1978). The Eighth Land: The Polynesian Discovery and Settlement of Easter Island. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Cooke, Melinda W. (1984).

"Easter Island." In Oceania: A Regional Study, edited by Frederica M. Burge and Melinda W. Cooke, 371-375. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Ferndon, Edwin N., Jr. (1957). "Notes on the Present-Day Easter Islanders." Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 13:223-238. Metraux, Alfred (1940). Ethnology of Easter Island. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin no. 160. Honolulu. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA Easter Island is a territory of which country? - thinkypedia.com Easter Island is a territory of which country? [It is also its nearest neighbour] THe island with the Malcolm Fraser statues is an annexation of Chile.

Supplement from 12/28/2007 04:57am: Easter Island -- World Heritage Site -- National Geographic Criteria: (i)(iii)(v) Reason: Easter Island’s silent stone figures are a monument to the seafaring skills and unique culture of ancient Polynesian peoples. Rapa Nui’s mysterious moai statues stand in silence but speak volumes about the achievements of their creators. The stone blocks, carved into head-and-torso figures, average 13 feet (4 meters) tall and 14 tons. The effort to construct these monuments and move them around the island must have been considerable—but no one knows exactly why the Rapa Nui people undertook such a task. Most scholars suspect that the moai were created to honor ancestors, chiefs, or other important personages, However, no written and little oral history exists on the island, so it’s impossible to be certain. A Polynesian society blossomed in this unlikely locale after hardy souls somehow navigated a fleet of wooden outrigger canoes to this tiny speck in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

Here, in isolation some 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) west of South America and 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) from the nearest neighboring island, the Rapa Nui developed a distinct architectural and artistic culture. That culture reached its zenith during the tenth to 16th centuries, when the Rapa Nui carved and erected some 900 moai across the island. It is generally thought that the Rapa Nui’s demise resulted from an environmental catastrophe of their own making. It’s not clear when the islands were first settled; estimates range from A.D. 800 to 1200. It’s also not clear how quickly the island ecosystem was wrecked—but a major factor appears to be the cutting of millions of giant palms to clear fields or make fires. It is possible that Polynesian rats, arriving with human settlers, may have eaten enough seeds to help to decimate the trees. Either way, loss of the trees exposed the island’s rich volcanic soils to serious erosion. When Europeans arrived in 1722, they found the island mostly barren and its inhabitants few.

Today’s tourists are numerous, and most visit the Rano Raraku quarry, which yielded the stones used for almost all of the island’s moai. Rapa Nui’s ancient inhabitants left the quarry in a fascinating condition—it is home to some 400 statues, which appear in all stages of completion. Meanwhile, across the entire island, many moai are reversing the creation process and deteriorating rapidly from priceless carvings back into plain rock. The volcanic stone is subject to weathering, and intensive conservation efforts are needed to help preserve Rapa Nui’s stone legacy in its present, awe-inspiring state. How to Get There It’s miraculous that Polynesian peoples ever reached Rapa Nui in the first place. Getting there today is far easier, but the island is still very far afield. Long flights service Rapa Nui from Santiago, Chile and Tahiti. When to Visit High season on Rapa Nui is the Southern Hemisphere summer—January to March. Though winter can get a bit chilly, average maximums still hover around 72ºF (22ºC) and minimums dip to only 57ºF (14ºC)—so the weather is really rather pleasant year-round.

Reduced crowds are an added attraction in the off-season. How to Visit Cars, motorcycles, and mountain bikes are available for hire and all are good ways for visitors to explore the island’s scattered archaeological sites. While most people visit Rapa Nui to explore its cultural history the island is also home to some excellent diving, surfing, and enticing beaches when a bit of relaxation is in order. Comment on This Story

Question: Which country is Easter Island a territory of?
Answer: Chile