Do people live on Easter Island?

Despite being located at the eastern edge of the Polynesian Triangle and a whopping 3,526 km from the nearest continental mass (the coast of Chile)—making it one of the most isolated human settlements in the world— people do live on Easter Island these days.

What is Easter Island known for?

Easter Island, Spanish Isla de Pascua, also called Rapa Nui, Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world. It is famous for its giant stone statues.

What is so mysterious about Easter Island?

Rapa Nui (or Easter Island, as it is commonly known) is home to the enigmatic Moai, stone monoliths that have stood watch over the island landscape for hundreds of years. Their existence is a marvel of human ingenuity — and their meaning a source of some mystery.

How did the inhabitants of Easter Island died?

A series of devastating events killed almost the entire population of Easter Island in the 1860s. Such devastating events that contributed to the downfall and collapse of the Easter Island society can be attributed to the rapid deforestation during the time of moai-construction.

Is Easter Island safe?

Is Easter Island safe? It’s hard to think of any safer place than Easter Island. Tourists that are victims to violent crimes such as robbery, rape or murder is unheard of. Unless you’re looking for a fight, you can walk by yourself at night without worrying about your safety.

What language is spoken on Easter Island?

Islanders smile, sing and dance in polyester costumes to cater to the mostly Spanish-speaking spenders. Ever since Chile annexed Easter Island more than a century ago, the Spanish language has been chipping away at the Polynesian-based language called Rapa Nui.

Why are there no trees on Easter Island?

Easter Island was covered with palm trees for over 30,000 years, but is treeless today. There is good evidence that the trees largely disappeared between 1200 and 1650. However there is evidence the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) was present from 900 and it seems clear that these rats caused widespread deforestation.

What are three interesting facts about Easter Island?

5 facts about Easter Island

• It was the first Pacific island to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site..
• None of the statues were standing when scientists arrived!
• Easter Island lies 3,700km to the west of Chile!
• It is one of the most remote islands in the world!

What are 3 cultural facts about Easter Island?

Here are six interesting Easter Island facts.

• No-one knows how the statues were moved.
• The huge heads have (huger) bodies.
• A Finnish tourist once stole a moai ear.
• The statues may have been an antidote to leprosy.
• There is an ugly duckling that no-one can explain.
• The statues were toppled by angry islanders.

Does Easter Island have a flag?

The flag of Easter Island (Rapa Nui: Te Reva Reimiro) is the flag of Easter Island, a special territory of Chile. It was first flown in public alongside the national flag on 9 May 2006.

Is there tourism on Easter Island?

The biggest tourist attractions on Easter Island are the Moai standing upon ceremonial platforms called Ahu.

Why did Easter Island die?

A collaborative study suggests that the island’s native culture reacted to natural environmental barriers to producing sufficient crops. Long before the Europeans arrived on Easter Island in 1722, the native Polynesian culture known as Rapa Nui showed signs of demographic decline.

How did humans get to Easter Island?

Linguists estimate Easter Island’s first inhabitants arrived around AD 400, and most agree that they came from East Polynesia. These linguistic links point to a genealogical bond that ties the people of the Pacific to one another. Indeed, in 1994, DNA from 12 Easter Island skeletons was found to be Polynesian.

Are there any Easter Islanders left?

The Rapa Nui are the indigenous Polynesian people of Easter Island. At the 2017 census there were 7,750 island inhabitants—almost all living in the village of Hanga Roa on the sheltered west coast.