Where did the Rapa Nui come from and what happened to them?

Where did the Rapa Nui come from and what happened to them?

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.

How did Polynesians get to Rapa Nui?

According to Thor Heyerdahl, people from a pre-Inca society took to the seas from Peru and voyaged east to west, sailing in the prevailing westerly trade winds. He believes they may have been aided, in an El Niño year, when the course of the winds and currents may have hit Rapa Nui directly from South America.

Is Rapa Nui the same as Easter Island?

Easter Island, Spanish Isla de Pascua, also called Rapa Nui, Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world.

What country owns Rapa Nui?

Chile
Easter Island

Easter Island Rapa Nui (Rapa Nui) Isla de Pascua (Spanish)
Country Chile
Region Valparaíso
Province Isla de Pascua
Commune Isla de Pascua

Where did the inhabitants of Easter Island come from?

The Austronesian Polynesians, who first settled the island, are likely to have arrived from the Marquesas Islands from the west. These settlers brought bananas, taro, sugarcane, and paper mulberry, as well as chickens and Polynesian rats. The island at one time supported a relatively advanced and complex civilization.

What happened to the figures from Easter Island in 1978?

What happened to the figures from Easter Island in 1978? They were restored to their original condition.

How far did the Polynesians travel to get to Rapa Nui?

Thousands of miles were traversed, without the aid of sextants or compasses. The ancient Polynesians navigated their canoes by the stars and other signs that came from the ocean and sky. Navigation was a precise science, a learned art that was passed on verbally from one navigator to another for countless generations.

How did the Polynesians find Easter Island?

First settlers In these traditions, Easter Islanders claimed that a chief Hotu Matu’a arrived on the island in one or two large canoes with his wife and extended family. They are believed to have been Polynesian. There is considerable uncertainty about the accuracy of this legend as well as the date of settlement.

How do I get to Rapa Nui?

Though flying to Rapa Nui isn’t hard, per se, it is a long journey. After all, it’s one of the world’s most remote, inhabited islands. The only airline that flies here is LATAM, a Chilean airline headquartered in Santiago. That means travelers must necessarily fly through Chile.

What is the closest island to Easter Island?

Its closest neighbors are the tiny Pitcairn Islands (some 1,200 miles away), while the nearest continental point is Chile, which is 2,200 miles to the east — or five hours by flight. Map of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui. Despite its extreme seclusion, most people know of Easter Island for one reason: the moai sculptures.

Who were the original islanders of Easter Island?

Austronesian Polynesians
The Austronesian Polynesians, who first settled the island, are likely to have arrived from the Marquesas Islands from the west. These settlers brought bananas, taro, sugarcane, and paper mulberry, as well as chickens and Polynesian rats. The island at one time supported a relatively advanced and complex civilization.

Who lives on Easter Island today?

About 5,000 people live on Easter Island today, and thousands of tourists come to see the anthropomorphic “moai” statues each year. Amid strain from a rising population, the island faces challenges ahead. It has no sewer system and continues to draw on a limited freshwater supply.

Why did the Polynesians stop sailing?

They were able to construct impressive boats, and navigate the ocean using only stars and ocean currents to guide them. Yet they suddenly stopped sailing. Some of the theories put forth by researchers to explain the cause of The Long Pause include sustained El Nino winds and ocean disasters, such as tidal waves.

How did Polynesians cross ocean?

Polynesian navigation was used for thousands of years to enable long voyages across thousands of kilometres of the open Pacific Ocean. Polynesians made contact with nearly every island within the vast Polynesian Triangle, using outrigger canoes or double-hulled canoes.

Who first lived on Easter Island?

What is a Tahitian pareu?

Whether you know it as a pareo or a pareu, the Tahitian pareu is a must for dressing island style. They are the most colorful, vibrant and bright in Polynesia. Tie one on today. The colorful designs that ornament the pareo are perhaps the strongest feature.

What to wear in Tahitian style?

Whether you know it as a pareo or a pareu, the Tahitian pareu is a must for dressing island style. They are the most colorful, vibrant and bright in Polynesia. Tie one on today. The colorful designs that ornament the pareo are perhaps the strongest feature. In addition to being extremely cool and comfortable to wear, they are bright and attractive.

What is a Polynesian pareo?

They are the most colorful, vibrant and bright in Polynesia. Tie one on today. The colorful designs that ornament the pareo are perhaps the strongest feature. In addition to being extremely cool and comfortable to wear, they are bright and attractive.

What are the features of a pareo?

The colorful designs that ornament the pareo are perhaps the strongest feature. In addition to being extremely cool and comfortable to wear, they are bright and attractive. Select from hand-dyed and printed styles in cotton and rayon.