Why does Chile own Easter Island?

The first known European visitor to Easter Island was the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who arrived in 1722. The Dutch named the island Paaseiland (Easter Island) to commemorate the day they arrived. In 1888, Chile annexed Easter Island, leasing much of the land for sheep raising.

How did Chile get control of Easter Island?

Easter Island was annexed by Chile on 9 September 1888 by Policarpo Toro, by means of the “Treaty of Annexation of the island” (Tratado de Anexión de la isla), that the government of Chile signed with the Rapa Nui people.

Is Rapa Nui independent?

Rapanui people do not seek complete independence from Chile but, as shown by the demands of the Rapa Nui Parliament, aspire to a degree of cultural autonomy and control over land and cultural resources. The Council of Elders is divided as to how far to negotiate with Chilean state entities.

Why is Easter Island protected?

The Rapa Nui Marine Protected Area encompasses 740,000 square kilometers (286,000 square miles) of Pacific Ocean surrounding Easter Island, or Rapa Nui. The MPA is intended to eliminate the pressures of commercial fishing and mining on the unique and isolated ecosystem of Rapa Nui.

What really happened to Easter Island?

In this story, made popular by geographer Jared Diamond’s bestselling book Collapse, the Indigenous people of the island, the Rapanui, so destroyed their environment that, by around 1600, their society fell into a downward spiral of warfare, cannibalism, and population decline.

Who governs Easter Island?

Chile
Chile annexed Easter Island in 1888. In 1966, the Rapa Nui were granted Chilean citizenship. In 2007 the island gained the constitutional status of “special territory” (Spanish: territorio especial). Administratively, it belongs to the Valparaíso Region, constituting a single commune of the Province Isla de Pascua.

Is Easter Island its own country?

Chile annexed Easter Island in 1888. In 1966, the Rapa Nui were granted Chilean citizenship….Easter Island.

Easter Island Rapa Nui Isla de Pascua
Easter Island Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean
Coordinates: 27°7′S 109°22′WCoordinates: 27°7′S 109°22′W
Country	Chile

How far from Chile is Easter Island?

2,200 miles
It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world. It is famous for its giant stone statues. The island stands in isolation 1,200 miles (1,900 km) east of Pitcairn Island and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) west of Chile.