Easter Island is located in the southern Pacific Ocean and has a population of around 6,000. The island, which measures around 24 by 13 kilometers, is politically part of Chile and is located over 3,500 kilometers from the Chilean mainland. The official language on the island is Spanish.
Easter Island is of volcanic origin with the highest elevation, the volcano "Maunga Terevaka", at 507 meters. Due to Easter Island's isolated location, the flora on the island is not particularly diverse. The landscape therefore consists mainly of grasslands with grasses, asteraceae and various grass plants.
For subsistence purposes, the main crops grown in agriculture are sugar cane, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, taro and some tropical fruits.
Easter Island is world-famous for its Moai figures, the almost 900 huge stone statues that exist there. There are also numerous caves on the island with ancient rock paintings, some of which are still quite well preserved.
A large proportion of the islanders live in the two villages of Hanga Roa and Mataveri, which have now almost merged into one large town. Hanga Roa is still considered the main town of Easter Island, with around 4,500 inhabitants.
The majority of the population now lives directly from tourism, which is also Easter Island's largest source of income. The international airport is served several times a week by flights from Santiago de Chile and Papeete-Tahiti.
The most important sights of Easter Island include the more than 300 Moai statues in the cone of the extinct volcano Ranu Raraku, the 15 erected statues of Ahu Anakena, the Englert Museum, the Puna Pau quarry, the Orongo ceremonial complex, Anakena Beach, the Ahu Te Pito Kura ceremonial complex, the Rapa Nui National Park, the Ahu Tongariki ruins, the Rano Kau volcano, the Ahu Nau Nau ruins, the painted cave Ana Kakenga, the Ahu Tahai ruins, the Kari Kari ballet in the main town, the Ahu Akivi ruins, the Rapa Nui church, the Ahu Akahanga ruins, the port of Hanga Roa, the Santa Cruz church, the Ovahe beach, the Ana Te Pahu cave, the Ahu Vinapu ruins, the Hanga Roa cemetery, the Hanga Kioe ruins and the small botanical garden of Hanga Roa.
Due to the relatively expensive journey, the number of visitors is still relatively low compared to other holiday islands.
I haven't been to Easter Island yet.
A visit there is planned in the near future.
Hence no photos!
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