The amazing Easter Island has excited the imagination of several generations of anthropologists and archaeologists for many decades. Now it has been studied quite well, and there are few unsolved mysteries left on it, which, of course, does not make it less interesting. True, curious people rarely get here anyway – it’s too far, and, accordingly, expensive.
Interesting facts about Easter Island
- The only city on it is Anga Roa, and about 90% of all islanders live here.
- The locals call the island «Rapa Nui».
- The famous statues of the island Easter, moai, are made of tuff, a mineral that is compressed volcanic ash.
- The entire island has been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
- Easter Island is several square kilometers larger than the area European Principality of Liechtenstein (interesting facts about Liechtenstein).
- It is very poor in vegetation. On the whole of Easter Island, only about 30 different plant species grow, and most of them were once brought here.
- Until recently, a unique toromiro tree grew here, but at the beginning of the last century it was completely exterminated.
- Before the emergence of a centralized water supply system on Easter Island, local residents took fresh water from lakes formed in the craters of extinct volcanoes.
- Since 1888, the island officially belongs to Chile.
- There is a school on Easter Island, but if the locals want to get a better education, after graduating they go to the mainland to enter one of the Chilean universities (interesting facts about Chile).
- All the famous moai statues look deep islands, not the ocean.
- The first people arrived on Easter Island around 1200-1500 years ago. Scientists believe that they were two large families who sailed here on a pair of large boats.
- Since the trees on Easter Island were almost destroyed, now there are no forests on it.
- Aborigines have long been the measure of wealth for chickens. The more a person had, the richer he was.
- The first documented European visit to Easter Island dates back to the early 18th century.
- Even the famous navigator James Cook once visited here (interesting facts about Cook).
- The indigenous population of Easter Island was greatly reduced due to smallpox brought here by Europeans.
- Even before the advent of Christian missionaries the islanders had their own writing system based on unique hieroglyphs.
- 10 years after the official annexation of Easter Island to the Chilean territories, the paramount leader of the island went to Chile to complain about the abuse of power by local Chileans. Shortly after his arrival, he died under mysterious circumstances. There were no more supreme leaders on Easter Island.
- The decline of local civilization began long before the arrival of Europeans, mainly due to the destruction of forests on the island (interesting facts about ancient civilizations).
- The most the ancient moai statues on Easter Island are about a thousand years old.
- In total, about 900 statues have survived to this day.
- The height of some of them exceeds 20 meters.
- On the island There is no river at Easter.