Easter Island | Statues, Heads, History, Moai & Facts

Easter Island is a famous island for its moai or large stone statues and a part of Chile. It lies 3,700 km to the west of mainland Chile. Easter Island is situated in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. The total area of Easter Island is 163.6 square kilometres. Easter Island is governed by a municipal council. The language spoken by the people on Easter island is Spanish and Rapa Nui. Easter Island had 7,750 people in 2017. 

Facts about Easter Island

The following are the important geographical facts about Easter Island.

• The first home on Easter Island was built in 700 AD. Soon after the settlement, the number of inhabitants, the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island started to develop the land as the installation of the moai indicates.

• Constant fighting between clans, decreasing resources, sickness, invasions, and slave trading led to a decline in the population. 

• Chile took over Easter Island in 1888 and was overseen by the Chilean Naval force. At that time the island was a sheep ranch. The Island was given to people in 1966 and the current residents of Chile are descendants of the Rapa Nui. The population of Easter Island was 4,781 in 2009. 

• Even though it is as yet occupied by people, Easter Island is one of the world’s most remote islands. Easter Island likewise has no long-lasting source of freshwater.

• Easter Island has a subtropical climate. It has  cold temperatures all year and gentle winters and bountiful precipitation. The average low temperature on Easter Island is around 18 degrees Celsius in July. The average temperatures of Easter Island are in February and are normally around 28 degrees Celsius.

• Easter Island is a volcanic island, it was formed out of three dead volcanoes.

• Easter Island is considered by ecologists as a separate ecoregion. The island’s enormous broadleaf forests and a local type of palm are now extinct as evidenced by the fossils. However, today, Easter Island does not have many trees and is mostly covered with grasses and bushes.

Economy of Easter Island

Easter Islanders cultivated crops such as Taro, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, bananas, gourds, turmeric, and arrowroot. They also gathered berries and seabird eggs. These were the main source of their income. Fish gave some protein, even though fishing was never a significant activity. Easter Islanders keep on cultivating on plots today, even though maize is currently the primary crop and Chilean food has supplanted the local cuisine. Sheep and cows on the island have been the main sources of meat, since the introduction of animal husbandry. Apart from fishing and farming, Easter Islanders presently work for small businesses, in tourism and for the government. 

Tourist Attractions on Easter Island

The main tourist attractions on Easter Island are the following.

• Rano Raraku

• Ahu Tongariki

• Ahu Nau Nau

• Anakena Beach

• Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum

• Ahu Akivi

• Tahai

• Orongo

• Rano Kau

Moai

Stone statues of human figures are called moai. The meaning of moai is statue. Moai are gigantic stone monuments on Easter Island. Easter Island is well known for moai. The moai were built between 1400 – 1650 A.D. by the islanders.

Moai were built to respect tribal leaders or other notable individuals who had died. The burial place for individuals that the statues address is called ahu. The moai were deliberately made with various qualities since they were planned to keep the appearance of the individual it represented.

Tradition suggests the chieftains purchased the from professional carvers who worked on these moai. It also indicates the moai were bought in exchange for yams, chickens, bananas, mats and obsidian as the purchase price. A bigger statue meant a greater expense, greater statues would likewise mean more significance for the clan.

Conclusion

Easter Island is an island with a great history. It is important to know the story of Easter island because Easter island provides a good theme to people, even though it is tragic. Easter Island is a beautiful island with many tourist spots. The economy of Easter Island is also growing day by day. It is a small island with a small number of people living there. It has many tourist attractions. Easter Island has the best weather for people to live in. However, there are no trees on Easter Island.