Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
diving and surfing conditions and plenty
of scope for leisurely exploration of the
more out-of-the-way attractions, both
on foot and on horseback. Welcoming
people, excellent food and a laidback
atmosphere seal the deal.
Easter Island
One of the most remote island territories
on earth, over 2000km from the nearest
inhabited part of the world, EASTER
ISLAND entices visitors with the enduring
mystery of its lost culture . A remarkable
civilization arose here, far from outside
influence on an island only 163 square
kilometres in extent. It apparently
declined rapidly and had all but
disappeared by the time Europeans first
arrived here. Originally known as “Te Pito
O Te Henua”, or “the navel of the world”,
due to its isolation, and now called “Rapa
Nui” by its inhabitants ( Pascuenses ), the
island is home to a culture and people
with strong Polynesian roots and a
language of their own, which sets it well
apart from mainland Chile. Archeological
mysteries aside, the island has much to
offer: year-round warm weather, excellent
HANGA ROA
The island's only settlement and home to
around four thousand people, HANGA
ROA is a dusty village spread out along
the Pacific coast. At night there is limited
street lighting and the sky, lit with endless
stars, is spectacular. North-south Atamu
Tekena is the main road, lined with small
supermarkets, cafés and tour agencies.
Much of the action is centred on the pier,
Caleta Hanga Roa, overlooked by Ahu
Tautira , the only moai site in the town
proper. Restaurants spread from here
along oceanside Policarpo Toro and
east-west Te Pito O Te Henua, which
4
A BRIEF HISTORY OF EASTER ISLAND
500-800 AD Easter Island is settled by King
Hotu Matu'a and his extended family, who
come from either the Pitcairn Islands or the
Cook or Marquesas Islands in Polynesia. The
island is divided between mata (tribes), each
led by a male descendant of the original king.
800-1600 Population grows to an estimated
20,000-30,000. Island culture evolves into a
complex society and flourishes; ahu
(ceremonial platforms) are built and moai
(stone statues) are erected all over the island.
1600-1722 Natural resources are depleted
and deforestation takes its toll. Two warring
factions form: the Ko Tu'u Aro, who rule the
island's western half, and the Hotu Iti, who
populate its eastern half. Moai construction
stops, the population declines and the
Birdman cult develops.
1722 Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen
lands and names the island after the day of
his arrival - Easter Sunday.
1770 The expedition of Felipe Gonzáles de
Haedo claims Easter Island for King Carlos III
of Spain.
1774 Captain James Cook visits; he finds
the moai in ruins and the population
bedraggled.
1862 Nearly one thousand islanders are
kidnapped to work as slaves in the guano
mines of the Chincha Islands off the coast of
Peru, including the island's king and all the
priestly elite. Later, one hundred islanders
are shipped back to Easter Island; the final
fifteen survivors of this voyage infect the
islanders with smallpox and the population
is reduced to a few hundred.
1870 The island is purchased for a
pittance by Frenchman Jean Baptiste
Dutroux-Bornier, who wages war on
missionaries. Most islanders agree to be
shipped to Tahiti rather than work in
indentured servitude.
1888-1953 Easter Island becomes part
of Chile and is leased to the Compañía
Explotadora de la Isla de Pascua, a subsidiary
of the sheep-rearing Scottish-owned
Williamson, Balfour and Company. Villagers
are confined to Hanga Roa.
1953 Company's lease is revoked; Easter
Island comes under the control of the
Chilean Navy.
1967 Mataveri Airport is built. Islanders are
given full rights as Chilean citizens.
1967-present day The island undergoes
material improvement and the Rapa Nui
language is no longer suppressed. Disputes
with the Chilean government over ancestral
land rights, however, continue.
 
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