THE Easter Island (also called girl Nakedi) is a territory of Chile (in the region of Valparaíso) which is located in the south of the Pacific Ocean.
It is a triangular volcanic island with an approximate area of 170 km2, 24 km long and 12 km wide.
Popularly, Easter Island is called Ilha Grande, Umbigo do Mundo or Eyes Fixed on the Sky, since it is far from the continents and harbors several mysteries.
Its capital is Hanga Roa, where most of its inhabitants live (80%). In total, about 4,000 inhabitants live on the island.
Before being Chilean territory in 1888, it had been under Spanish rule since 1770.
Where is Easter Island?
Located in Eastern Polynesia, 3,700 km from the west coast of Chile and 4,000 km from Tahiti, Easter Island is considered the most isolated place in the world.
Easter Island History
Easter Island emerged from volcanic eruptions that occurred 3 million years ago. About 4 volcanoes were responsible, which are currently inactive.
Probably, some civilizations inhabited the place, before it was discovered by the Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeven. He found the place on Easter Sunday, 1772, and that's why it gets its name. It is possible that it was first inhabited by Polynesians from Asia.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the civilization that inhabited the place was called Rapa Nui. They had a script in hieroglyphics called rongo-rongo or rongorongo. Until today, no researcher has been able to decipher such language.
Theories indicate that the people who lived there cultivated the soil, fished, until the time when the soil was impoverished, in addition to the disappearance of the forests, factors that made it difficult to survive in the area. It is estimated that around 15,000 inhabitants inhabited the island, before ancient civilizations collapsed.
The "Cult of the Bird Man" represented one of the rituals that took place with several inhabitants of the island. After riding the slopes and swimming to a small nearby island, whoever brought the egg intact would be elected to rule for that year.
Easter Island Mysteries: Trivia
Easter Island involves several mysteries, especially about the inhabitants who lived there. Mysticism is associated with this small island that has a triangular shape and also has a volcanic crater at each end.
It is not known for sure why civilization disappeared or how they built the almost 900 Moais, huge statues with human forms carved in volcanic stone that are scattered across the island, a fact that even today attracts thousands of scholars and tourists from all over the island. years old. It is estimated that they were built around 1200 AD. Ç. to 1500 d. Ç. by the Rapanui people.
The Easter Island Statues, called the Moais, is one of the most important characteristics of the place. Built with volcanic rock, these gigantic sculptures are between 3 and 20 meters high, and their weight can reach tons.
Ahu Tongariki, is one of the places on the island where I gathered a sequence of 15 moais with their backs to the Hotu'iti beach, considered the greatest monument in the entire South Pacific.
The big question that falls on this mystery is that in the past there were no machines to transport such stones and still, the place presents an irregular and uneven terrain. Probably, these huge stones were transported in logs.
Since then, many scholars try to understand the exploits of the people who lived there, since the Moais are spread across the island. However, it has not yet been possible to find an answer for its construction. Some inhabitants believe they were transported by a supernatural power.
It is not known for sure why they were built, with most of them facing the sea. Some scholars believe they were designed to protect the civilizations that inhabited the island.
It is also interesting to note that only one of the moai has a rounded and lowered head, while the others follow a pattern of more rectangular faces and erect posture. Many statues of the moai were buried, and so several excavations were made to reveal their bodies.
Tourism on Easter Island
Tourism is one of the most important activities carried out on the island, as in addition to having beautiful beaches, its history attracts thousands of visitors. The lands are arid, the climate is a little cold and the waters are icy.
