The most secluded island in the world
His unusual name is the island of volcanic origin, located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, received quite no coincidence: Dutch sailors entered his land on the first day of the Easter week of 1722.
Easter or Rapa Nui Island (local name), open by the Dutch navigator Jacob Rogheven 280 years ago, is considered to be the most secluded island on the planet – after all, the nearest neighbors live already in 2000 km from here! In order to get to Chile or Tahiti, you will have to overcome almost 4,000 km, to Antarctica – 6000 km. It is quite clear why there are practically no fences and fences on the island, and the Chilean patrol ship comes here only twice a year: the criminal, if there is such a thing, just nowhere to run ..
The total area of the island having a triangular shape, 171 kV.KM. The highest point is Mount Mount Terevak, towering over the sea for 500 m (in fact, the total height of the mountain is almost 3500 m, but 3000 m is hidden under water). There is no single river or stream on the island, rainwater accumulates in three small lakes formed in volcanic crater.
Easter Island is located in subtropics, so "season" continues almost all year round. The average annual temperature – + 21 ° C. The warmer and dry period lasts from November to April. True, the rainy season is not at all. Tourists who are serving on Easter Island always warn about a rather dangerous sun. This is not due to "Ozone holes", As many, and with "too much" clean air, which gives such an effect.
Indigenous residents (among which, by the way, were representatives of three different races) called their island, without false modesty, "PUP of land". True, I must say that before the arrival of the Dutch, the local population did not suspect the existence of other islands and continents, and respectively, and other people. Thanks to a unique geographical position, complete privacy and a peculiar conquest from the whole world, Easter Island to this day is located secret. One of them is the origin of the indigenous population of the island, lost in the middle of the ocean. This riddle partly solved the legendary Norwegian archaeologist and traveler Tour Heyerdal. Swimming the Pacific Ocean from the shores of South America to Polynesia on the raft "Kon-Tika", Made from balsa logs, he proved that such a journey was possible, and the indigenous population of the Island of Easter could well get here from South America.
However, one of the main mysteries of the island that does not give peace by several generations of travelers and researchers, there are completely unique giant stone statues, called local residents of Moi. The ancient inhabitants of the island were convinced that MOAIs guard their land and their themselves from evil spirits. Some statues reach a height of 21 meters and weigh up to 200 tons! Statues have an extremely strange view – they have very big heads with a heavy protruding chin, long ears and no legs. Some on the heads "Happers" From the Red Stone (it is believed that this leaders, deified after their death). Naturally, the question arose in front of the researchers: how the ancient inhabitants of the island moved these stone colosses. It is very interesting that with a special study it turned out that all statues have a very low center of gravity, and it allows approximately 15 men pretty quickly install them in a vertical position with the help of ropes. It is curious that in the language islanders there is a word denoting slow Promotion without help. It was estimated for the installation of one statue and was estimated for about two months and work 90 people.
During the heyday of the island, in 14-17 centuries. N.NS. (By the same time, the construction of mysterious statues includes up to 20,000 people. The main classes of local residents were agriculture and fisheries. After opening the island by Europeans, the number of indigenous people has rapidly decline: someone was destroyed, many were sold to slavery. After annexation in 1888, the islands of the state of Chile in the vitality of local residents has changed little, only relatively recently, in 1966, the population of the island has gained some rights. Construction of the airport, rare tourists began to bring at least some income. Although, as they say, the island is still almost unudensed, only stone statues resemble the presence of civilization here. Tour Heyerdal, who lived here in 1955 for more than six months, wrote: "Sometimes the island seemed uninhabited. Some petrified world with your petrified residents ..".
Now on Easter Island, you can get from Chile, where special tours are organized on the mysterious island. Tours are very expensive, but probably it will not be difficult for the fact that Easter Island is one of the most desirable goals for a real traveler.
