What makes Rapa Nui special?

Famous for the towering stone statues known as moai, the island of Rapa Nui holds immense cultural value to its native Rapa Nui clans, a society of Polynesian origin who arrived on the island around 400 A.D. With more than 100,000 visitors annually, tourism sustains the “Easter Island” economy—but management of tourism …

What is unique about Easter Island?

Easter Island is the world’s most secluded inhabited island The only way to get there is by plane, as it doesn’t even have any harbours. The shortest flight is five hours from Santiago, and you can also fly there in seven hours from Tahiti. So what are the benefits of being so far away?

What is Rapa Nui and what is extraordinary about it?

Rapa Nui, the indigenous name of Easter Island, bears witness to a unique cultural phenomenon. From the 10th to the 16th century this society built shrines and erected enormous stone figures known as moai , which created an unrivalled cultural landscape that continues to fascinate people throughout the world.

What is the culture of Rapa Nui?

The Rapa Nui are the indigenous Polynesian people of Easter Island. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of Easter Island make up about 60\% of the current Easter Island population and have a significant portion of their population residing in mainland Chile.

What is the meaning of Rapa Nui?

Overview. Rapa Nui (“Great Rapa”) or Te Pito o te Henua (“Navel of the World”) was first settled about. 1,500 years ago.

What is the Rapa Nui religion and beliefs?

Rapa Nui Religion Their beliefs evolve mainly around Make-Make, the creator god, supreme god and he who is omnipotent. However, the most important religious demonstration is the worship to the birdman, also known as the bird of luck. In the language of the islanders, it is called Manutara.

How did the Rapa Nui get to Easter Island?

Known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, the island was christened Paaseiland, or Easter Island, by Dutch explorers in honor of the day of their arrival in 1722. It was annexed by Chile in the late 19th century and now maintains an economy based largely on tourism.

What happened to the Rapa Nui?

The island was victimized by blackbirding from 1862 to 1863, resulting in the abduction or killing of about 1,500, with 1,408 working as indentured servants in Peru. Only about a dozen eventually returned to Easter Island, but they brought smallpox, which decimated the remaining population of 1,500.

Why did the Rapa Nui build the moai?

Moai statues were built to honor chieftain or other important people who had passed away. They were placed on rectangular stone platforms called ahu, which are tombs for the people that the statues represented.

Who discovered Rapa Nui?

A French navigator, Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de La Perouse, found 2,000 people on the island when he arrived in 1786.

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