Which World Heritage Island belongs to Chile. Easter Island: Mysterious Rapa Nui. Which winds bring the most rainfall to South America

Millions of tourists come to Chile every year. Easter Island, the most arid desert in the world by the Attacks, as well as many other monuments of nature and ancient culture make this country a Mecca for curious travelers.

The main attractions of Chile

Lauka National Park

The title of one of the most visited and interesting sights of Chile rightfully belongs to the Lauca National Park, located at an altitude of more than 4,500 km above sea level almost at the very border with Bolivia. This biosphere reserve contains a rich collection of rare representatives of flora and fauna.

Le Pege Museum

AT Chile attractionsrelating to different eras, can be found at almost every step, but this museum has no analogues. The Le Pege Archaeological Museum, located on the Atacama Desert, has more than 380,000 rare exhibits, some of which are up to 10,000 years old. It is here that houses the largest collection of mummies (about 400), which are almost three millennia older than the embalmed remains of the famous Egyptian pharaohs.

Active Maipo Volcano

The Maipo Volcano, one of the southernmost peaks of the Andes, is located on the border with Argentina, 90 km from Tupungato and 100 km from Santiago. As already noted, in Chile, attractions, including natural ones, are not uncommon, but this active volcano can be safely called the brightest miracle of the region. Maipo became popular due to its unusual, absolutely symmetrical conical shape.

La Portada - the largest natural arch

As you know, Chile is a country whose sights can be divided into natural and man-made. La Portada is one of the most interesting structures created by nature. A unique monument, which is a giant stone arch 43 meters high, is located in the northern part of Antofagasta.

Andean Christ - a symbol of peace

At the Bermejo pass, on the border of Chile and Argentina, in honor of the armistice of the two countries in 1904 at an altitude of 3900 meters above sea level, a monument to Christ the Redeemer was erected. This monument is made of bronze, which was received by remelting the old cannons left over from the Spanish colonists. For both Argentina and Chile, this attraction is a symbol of eternal peace, as the inscription on the pedestal eloquently testifies: "Rather, the mountains crumble to dust, than we violate the ceasefire agreement."

Atacama Desert: Moon Valley

This desert is notable for the fact that there is nothing alive: only stones, salt lakes and absolute silence. And, despite the fact that Chile is a country with unique sights, the Atacama Desert is the most unusual place on earth. Throughout the history of meteorological observations in this area not a single rain was recorded. No wonder the desert is called the lunar valley - local landscapes are very reminiscent of the surface of the Earth’s satellite.

Los Flamencos Nature Reserve

The reserve, with a total area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 80,000 hectares, is very popular among lovers of wildlife, history and archeology. Here, tourists can see the ruins of a village whose age exceeds 3 thousand years. Specialists consider the unusual shape of the buildings to be the main feature of this ancient settlement - the walls of clay houses are round. In Los Flamencos, the stunning beauty of the lake, incredible mountain landscapes and surreal sculptures created by nature itself.

Chiloe Island

One of Chilean's popular attractions is Chiloe Island. It has a wonderful climate, wonderful beaches and a lot of monuments of ancient culture and architecture. On the island is a unique church of St. Mary, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Lake Chungara - mysterious splendor

On the southwestern coast of Chile, at an altitude of 4570 meters above sea level, is one of the most mysterious and beautiful lakes in the world - Chungara. Surrounded by Mount Guayatiri and Payachata Volcano, this natural reservoir is a reliable haven for endangered species of fish and birds. More than 130 species of rare herbs, flowers and shrubs grow on the picturesque shores of Chungary, along which pink flamingos are leisurely strolling, and the ruins of ancient settlements have been preserved not far from the lake.

Easter Island - one of the most mysterious places on earth

In the south of the Pacific Ocean is the most mysterious island on earth, one of the most famous and popular attractions of Chile. Tourists are attracted not only by the azure beaches and beautiful landscapes, but also by many puzzles that haunt many generations of explorers and travelers. The most famous monuments of an unknown civilization are huge statues. The height of the stone idols is from 3 to 21 meters. The weight of each statue ranges from 10 to 25 tons, but among them there are real giants weighing about 90 tons.

Part A.

1. In what year was South America discovered?

a) in 1498 b) in 1698 c) in 1492 g) 1452

2. Which strait separates South America from Antarctica?

a) Bassov b) Drake c) Magelanov d) Bering

3. Which ocean has the greatest impact on climate formation in South America?

a) Pacific b) Indian c) Atlantic d) Arctic

4. What part of mainland South America is flat?

a) northern b) southern c) western d) eastern

5. Which mainland waterfall is the highest in the world?

a) Angel b) Niagara c) Iguazu d) Victoria

6. Is the world's largest alpine lake located in the Andes?

7. What is the largest plain?

a) the Amazonian lowland b) the Orinoc lowland c) the La Plata lowland d) the Brazilian plateau

8. Which river in South America is the deepest?

a) Orinoco b) Parana c) Amazon d) Rio Negro

9. In what natural area of \u200b\u200bSouth America is the animal world best preserved?

10. Which statement correctly characterizes the climate of South America?

11. Is the highest point in South America?

a) the city of Ilyampu b) the city of Ruiz c) the city of Aongagua d) the Chimborazo

12. What kind of scientist during his expeditions to the mainland in 1923-1933. established the geographical centers of the ancient centers of agriculture and the origin of some cultivated plants?

a) M.P. Lazarev b) N.I. Vavilov c) A. Humbolt d) G.I. Langsdorf

13 . How many tiny hummingbird species are there on mainland South America?

a) 321 b) 258 c) 698 g) 500

14. What are the descendants of the marriages of Europeans and blacks called?

a) mulattoes b) mestizos c) sambo d) creoles

a) Colombia b) Venezuela c) Peru d) Brasilia

16. Which city was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site by UNESCO?

a) Peru b) Chile c) Colombia d) Brasilia

Part B.

Arrange South American landforms in the order they are placed from sulfur to south

A) Amazonian lowland

B) Brazilian Highlands

C) Guiana Highlands

D) La Plascoca Lowland

2. Establish the correspondence between the natural zone and the animal characteristic of this natural zone.

A) wet evergreen equatorial forests 1) ostrich nandu

B) savannahs 2) orangutan

B) steppes 3) Pampasso deer

D) semi-desert 4) tapir

5) whiskey

3. What is selva, patagonia, pampa?

Part C.

Determine the type of climate by climatogram and characterize this climate.

South America Final Test

Option

a) A. Humbold b) N. M. Albov c) X. Columbus g) N.I. Vavilov

2. Which channel separates South America from North America?

a) Panama b) Eri c) Suez d) Royal

3. What winds bring the most rainfall to South America?

a) trade winds b) western c) monsoons d) breezes

4. What part of the mainland is South America mountainous?

a) northern b) western c) eastern d) southern

5. What is the widest waterfall on the mainland in the world?

a) Angel b) Victoria c) Iguazu d) Niagara

6. The highest mountain lake in South America and the world?

a) Air North b) Patus c) Maracaibo d) Titicaca

7. Does the elevated sections of the South American platform in the relief correspond to?

a) Amazonian lowland b) Orinok lowland c) La Plat lowland d) Guiana plateau

8. Which river in South America is longer than the Volga?

a) Orinoco b) Iguazu c) Parana d) Amazon

9. In what natural area of \u200b\u200bSouth America is the animal world least preserved?

a) steppe b) savannah c) semi-desert d) equatorial forests

10. What statement correctly characterizes the climate of South America?

a) the hottest b) the driest c) the wettest d) the coldest

11. When is the Amazon River high?

a) in winter b) in autumn c) in summer d) throughout the year

12. At the turn of the 18-19 centuries, one of the first scientists in South America to make an expedition to study nature?

a) H. Columbus b) A. Humboldt c) A. Vespucci d) G. Langsdorf

13. What are the savannas of the Brazilian plateau called?

a) campos b) llanos c) pampa d) selva

14. What are the descendants from the marriages of Indians and Negroes called?

a) mulattoes b) mestizos c) Quechua d) sambo

15. Is South America the largest country by area?

a) Colombia b) Brasilia c) Peru d) Colombia

16. Which World Heritage Island does Chile own?

a) Madagascar b) Greenland c) Easter d) Wrangel

Part B.

1. Distribute the states of South America in order of increasing area of \u200b\u200btheir territories.

A) Argentina

B) Brasilia

C) Peru

D) Suriname

2. Set the correspondence between the natural zone and the plant characteristic of this natural zone.

A) wet evergreen equatorial forests 1) kebracho

B) Savannah 2) Welvichia

C) steppe 3 wild millet

D) semi-desert 4) ceiba

5) cactus

3. What is patagonia, ceiba, selva.

Part C.

1. Determine the type of climate by climatogram and characterize the climate.

The keys.

option 1

Part A.

and

Part B.

1. VABG

2. A-4, B-3, V-3, G-5

3. Selva - forests of South America

Patagonia - semi-desert of South America

Pampa - Steppe of South America

Part C.

Equatorial climate. The average annual rainfall is from 2000 to 3000 mm, and high temperatures throughout the year.

option 2

Part A.

and

Part B.

1. VGBA

2. A-4, B-1, B-3, G-5

3. Patagonia - the semi-desert of South America

Selva - Forests of South America

Ceiba - The Cotton Tree of South America

Part C.

Subequatorial climate. The annual rainfall exceeds 2000 mm.

The average monthly temperature rises to +28 ... + 30 ° С.

Author Ѐoksana Khabarizze asked a question in the section Other about cities and countries

Which Country does Easter Island belong to? and got the best answer

Reply from Kostya Vlasov [guru]
TO CHILE
OL9; Strov PaL9; shea (Dutch Paasch-Eyland, Spanish Isla de Pascua) - an island in the South Pacific, the territory of Chile. The local name of the island is Rapa Nui (rap. Rapa Nui). Area - 163.6 km². Coordinates - 27 ° 07R42; Yu. w. 109 ° 21R42; h. d. (G).
Along with the Tristan da Cugna archipelago is the most remote inhabited island in the world. The distance to the continental coast of Chile is 3703 km, to the island of Pitcairn, the nearest inhabited place, - 1819 km. The island was discovered by the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven on Easter Sunday 1722.
The capital of the island and its only city is Hanga Roa. A total of 3.7 thousand people live on the island (2005).
Rapa Nui is largely known for its moai, or stone statues made of compressed volcanic ash, which, according to local residents, contains the supernatural power of the ancestors of the first king of Easter Island - Hotu-Matu’a. In 1888, Chile was annexed. In 1995, the Rapa Nui National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Answer from Mikhail Bobreshov[active]
Interestingly, Easter Island projects through the center of the earth to Lhasa (Rasa) in Tibet.

Answer from Vitya Provalov[newbie]
chile

Answer from Vladimir Roman[newbie]
Chile

Answer from Victor Nikitin[guru]
Chile

Answer from Polina Osipova[guru]
Chile
wikipedia link:

Answer from Tane4ka[guru]
Chile

Answer from Атinat Khatipov[master]
chile

Answer from Yosef faen[guru]
Chile

Answer from Mila Novitskaya[guru]

Now owned by Chile, since 1988
Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, and largely due to its isolation, the history of Rapa Nui is unique. There are many scientific hypotheses and conjectures regarding the time of the settlement of Rapa Nui, the racial origin of local residents, the causes of the death of a unique civilization, the representatives of which built huge stone statues (Moai) and knew the writing (rongorongo), which has not yet been deciphered by linguists. With the discovery of the island in 1722 by the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven and the appearance of the first Catholic missionaries, radical changes took place in the life of the Rapanuiites: the hierarchical relations that existed in the past were forgotten, the practice of cannibalism was stopped. In the middle of the XIX century, local residents became the object of the slave trade, as a result of which Bol9 died; the majority of the Rapanuiites, and with them many elements of a unique local culture, were lost. September 9, 1888 the island was annexed by Chile. In the 20th century, Rapa Nui became an object of great interest for scientific researchers trying to unravel the secrets of the vanished Rapanui civilization (among them was the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl). At this time, there were some improvements in the infrastructure of the island and the quality of life of the Rapanui people. In 1995, the Rapa Nui National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the XXI century, the island continues to attract tourists from all over the world, and tourism has become the main source of income for the local population.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South America Country Number of properties Argentina 8 Bolivia 6 Brazil 19 Venezuela 3 Colombia 7 Paraguay 1 Peru 11 Suriname 2 Uruguay 1 ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Brazil there are 17 items (for 2010). The Convention was adopted on September 1, 1977. The first Brazilian object that fell under the protectorate of an international organization was historical ... ... Wikipedia

The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Argentina includes 8 items (for 2011), which is 0.8% of the total (962 for 2012). 4 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 4 objects according to natural. Los ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Venezuela there are 3 items (for 2010), this makes 0.3% of the total (962 for 2012). 2 objects are included in the list by cultural criteria, 1 object by natural. Other than that, ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Colombia, there are 7 items (for 2011), this is 0.7% of the total (962 for 2012). 5 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 2 objects according to natural ones. Except ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ecuador there are 4 names (for 2010), this makes up 0.4% of the total (962 for 2012). 2 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 2 objects according to natural. Other than that, ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Suriname there are 2 names (for 2010), this is 0.2% of the total (962 for 2012). 1 object is included in the list according to cultural criteria, 1 object is natural. In addition, according to ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia there are 6 items (for 2010), this is 0.6% of the total (962 for 2012). 5 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 1 object by natural criteria. Other than that, ... ... Wikipedia

In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Paraguay there is 1 name (for 2010), this is 0.1% of the total (962 for 2012). In addition, as of 2010, 4 objects in the state are located in ... ... Wikipedia

The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Uruguay contains 1 name (for 2010), this is 0.1% of the total (962 for 2012). In addition, as of 2010, 4 objects in the state are located in ... ... Wikipedia

Easter Island (Spanish: Isla de Pascua) - an island of volcanic origin, belonging, lying in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, between Chile and the island of Tahiti (fr. Tahiti). Together with a small uninhabited Fr. Sala y Gomez (Spanish Isla Sala y Gómez) forms the commune and province of Isla de Pasqua (Spanish Provincia de Isla de Pascua) in the province (Spanish Región de Valparaíso). The local name given to the island by Polynesian whalers is: Rapa Nui (Rapa Nui).

The only city of Anga Roa (Spanish: Hanga Roa) is the capital of the island.

About 6 thousand people live on the island, about 40% of them are Polynesians or Rapanui, natives, the rest are mostly Chileans. Rapanuytsy speak Rapanui language, believers profess Catholicism. On the territory of the island with an area of \u200b\u200babout 165 km² there are 70 extinct volcanoes. They have not erupted even once in 1300 years from the date of its colonization. The island has the shape of a right-angled triangle with sides of 24.18 and 16 km., On the corners of which rise the cones of extinct volcanoes: Rano Kao (br. Rano Kao; 324 m), Pois Kathiki (br. Puakatike; 377 m) and Terewaka ( Rap Terevaka; 539 m - the highest point of the island). Between them lies a hilly plain formed by volcanic tuffs and basalts. Lava pipes and influxes form many underwater caves and a bizarre, steep coastline.

There are no rivers on Rapa Nui, the main sources of fresh water here are the lakes that arose in the craters of volcanoes.

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The climate is subtropical, with an average monthly temperature of + 18 ° C to + 23 ° C. Mostly herbs grow here, as well as a few eucalyptus and banana plants.

Along with the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, Rapa Nui is considered the most remote inhabited island in the world: the distance to the continental Chilean coast is almost 3514 km, and to the nearest inhabited place, the Pitcairn Islands (English Pitcairn Islands, owned by the UK) - 2075 km .

Basically, Rapa Nui became famous for its stone giants, in which, according to the beliefs of the local population, the mystical power of the ancestors of Hotu Mato’a (Hotu Mato-a), the first king of the island, is enclosed.

Easter Island is undoubtedly the most mysterious island in the world. With its wonders and inexplicable riddles, it attracts the attention of historians, geologists and cultural scientists with a magnet.

Story

In 1722, a squadron of 3 ships under the command of a Dutch traveler, Admiral Jacob Roggeven (Dutch Jacob Roggeveen; 1659-1729), holding the way from South America in search of the wealth of the Unknown Southern land (Latin Terra Australis Incognita), Sunday, April 7, Christian Easter Day, discovered a small island in the South Pacific. At the council assembled by the admiral, the ship captains signed a resolution proclaiming the opening of a new island. Surprised travelers found that on Easter Island (as sailors immediately christened it) three different races peacefully coexist: redskins, blacks, and white people. Locals unequally met travelers: someone friendly waved their hands, and someone threw stones at uninvited guests.

The Polynesians, inhabitants of Oceania, call the island of Rapa Nui (rap. Rapa Nui - Big Rapa), however, the islanders themselves call their homeland Te-Pito-o-te-Henua (rap. Te-Pito-o -te-henua, which means " the center of the world»).

Formed by a series of large volcanic eruptions, a secluded island for millions of years served as the habitat of seabird colonies. And its steep, steep banks marked the navigation path for the ships of Polynesian navigators.

Legends say that about 1200 years ago, on the sandy beach of Anaken (rap. Anakena), King Hotu Mato-a came down and took up the colonization of the island. Then, for many centuries, on this island lost in the ocean, a mysterious society existed. For unknown reasons, the islanders were carving giant statues known as moai. These idols today are considered one of the most inexplicable ancient artifacts on Earth. The islanders built villages from houses of an unusual, elliptical shape. Presumably, the newly arrived settlers adapted their boats for temporary housing, turning them upside down. Then they began to build houses in this way, most of the hundreds of such buildings were destroyed by missionaries.

By the time the island was opened, its population was 3-4 thousand people. The first settlers found lush vegetation on the island. Here, giant palm trees (up to 25 m in height) grew in abundance, which were cut down for the construction of dwellings and boats. People brought here various plants that perfectly took root in the soil enriched in volcanic ash. By 1500, the population of the island was already 7 - 9 thousand people.

As the population grew, separate clans formed, concentrated in different parts of Easter Island, connected by the general construction of the sculptures and the cult that arose around them.

In 1862, the Peruvian slave traders removed most of the inhabitants of the island, destroyed their original culture. In 1888, Rapa Nui was annexed to Chile. Today, the islanders are engaged in fishing, agriculture - growing sugarcane, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, as well as working on livestock farms and making souvenirs for tourists.

Sights and mysteries of Rapa Nui

Despite its small size, Easter Island has many attractions, both natural and man-made. In 1995, the Rapa Nui National Park (Spanish el Parque Nacional de Rapa Nui National) was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Register.

The entire territory of the island is an archaeological reserve, a single amazing open-air museum.

There are 2 sandy beaches on Easter Island: located on the northern part of the island, Anakena Beach (Spanish: Playa Anakena), one of the few officially authorized swimming beaches, is a great place for surfers. The second beautiful deserted beach located along the southern coast of the island is a real gem named Ovaha (Spanish: Playa Ovahe). Ovaha is surrounded by picturesque cliffs, it is much larger than Anaken.

The main attraction of the island and an unresolved mystery, which for centuries has not haunted scientific minds, of course, are the sculptures "Moai". Huge ancient statues rise almost everywhere along the southern part of the island.

It is not known why the islanders began to massively create gigantic sculptures. Their obscure obsession subsequently led to a catastrophic depletion of forest resources. The forest needed to transport the giant moai was mercilessly cut down. The first monolithic sculptures tall in height of a person were made from basalt. Then the islanders began to make huge statues (more than 10 m high, weighing up to 20 tons) from soft volcanic tuff (compressed volcanic ash), an ideal material for sculpting. Situated a little in the depths of the island, the crater Rano Raraku (Spanish Rano Raraku; a small extinct volcano up to 150 m high) is the site of the cut-out of the famous giants. Hundreds of islanders worked on them from morning till night. Today, you can see all the stages of painstaking work, unfinished figures are scattered right there. Probably, the manufacture of statues by skillful sculptors took place in compliance with numerous ceremonies and rituals. If during the manufacture of the statue a defect occurred, which was considered a sign of the devil, the carvers quit the job and took on another.

When the statue was carved and chopped off the jumper connecting it with the rock of the crater, the figure rolled down the slope. At the base of the crater, the statues were installed in a vertical position, and here they were finalized. How then were massive moai transported to various places on the island? The statues weighed up to 82 tons with a height of 10 m. Sometimes they were moved and installed at distances over 20 km!

As Easter legends say, the Moai ... went on their own. Some researchers thought they were being dragged. Later they came to the conclusion that the figures moved in an upright position. How all this really looked, remains another unsolved mystery of Easter Island civilization.

In 1868, the British tried to take one of the statues to their homeland. However, they abandoned this venture, limiting themselves to a small bust (2.5 m high). It was installed in the London British Museum. In the process of transportation and loading of the "baby" was attended by hundreds of natives and the entire crew of the ship.

At the location of the statue were installed on akhu (rap. Ahu) - polished stone platforms of various sizes, slightly inclined towards the sea. Next came the final stage of the creation of religious figures - the installation of eyes from volcanic glass or coral. The heads of many stone idols were decorated with “hats” (rap. Pukao) made of reddish rock.

Moai pedestals have a height of more than 3 m, a length of up to 150 m, and the weight of the stone slabs that make them up to 10 tons. Near the crater of the volcano, about 200 unfinished figures were found, among which there are giants more than 20 m in length.

Over time, the number of moai reached 1000, which made it possible to build an almost continuous line of monuments along the coast of Rapa Nui. The reason why the inhabitants of the tiny island spent their time and energy on the creation of numerous giants, remains a mystery today.

It is believed that the statues of Easter Island were images of noble representatives of the clans. The typical design of the statue - without legs, with an angular gloomy face, protruding chin, tightly pressed lips and a low forehead - remains one of the greatest mysteries of Easter Island. All the statues (except for the seven moai located in the middle of the island) stand on the coast and "look" into the sky towards the island. Some experts consider them guardians of the dead, who protected the deceased from natural elements by powerful backs. Mysterious giants, silently lining up on the coast, turning their backs to the Pacific Ocean - like a powerful army guarding the peace of their possessions.

Despite some primitive moai, the statues are fascinating. The giants look especially impressive in the evening, in the rays of the setting sun, when only huge, chilling silhouettes loom against the sky ...

So, the Rapa Nui civilization reached its peak, then something terrible happened.

An ominous story was revealed about the ruthless use of natural resources and the ruin of the island. The Europeans, who first set foot on Easter Island, were amazed how people could survive in such a deserted place. This ceased to be a mystery when recent studies showed that in ancient times the island was covered with dense forest, there was an abundant tropical paradise.

Apparently, the island's resources seemed inexhaustible, trees were cut down for the construction of dwellings and canoes, and giant palm trees - for transporting moai.

The destruction of the forest led to soil erosion and its depletion. Poor harvests, lack of food led to armed conflicts between island clans, moai - symbols of power and success were overthrown. The struggle with time became tougher, according to legend, the winners ate their enemies in order to gain strength. In the southwestern part of Rapa Nui there is an Ana Kai Tangata cave, the name of which is ambiguous: it can mean "a cave where people eat", or maybe "a cave where people ate." The Rapa Nui culture that has developed over the past 300 years has collapsed.

Due to the lack of forest, the islanders were cut off from the outside world even more than before. Even fishing was a difficult task for them. Easter Island turned into a desolate desolate piece of land with depleted soils, with about 750 inhabitants surviving. Under these conditions, the cult of the human bird was born here. Over time, he gained the status of a dominant religion on the island, practiced until 1866-1867.

Due to the lack of material for building a canoe and the ability to sail away from the island, the Rapanui men enviously watched the birds soaring in the sky.

On the edge of the Rano-Kao crater, the ritual village of Orongo (rap. Orongo) was founded, where they worshiped the fertility god Makemake (rap. MakeMake) and held peculiar competitions between men of various clans.

In spring, each clan selected the most physically prepared warriors who needed to descend from steep slopes to the shark-infested sea, swim to one of the islets and bring from there an unscathed egg of a seabird, dark quack (Latin Onychoprion fuscatus). The warrior who managed to deliver the egg first was proclaimed the Birdman (the earthly incarnation of the Makemake deity). He received honors and special privileges, and his tribe received the right to rule the island for a year, until the next competition.

Orongo's unique sights are also hundreds of petroglyphs that have survived centuries carved by Birdmen in solid basalt rock. There is an opinion that petroglyphs depict winners of annual competitions. Around Orongo, about 480 such petroglyphs were found.

The culture of the Rapanuiites began to revive, perhaps the inhabitants of the island could again achieve prosperity, but in December 1862 the ships of the Peruvian slave traders moored to the island and took away all the able-bodied inhabitants of the island. At that time, the economy was booming and needed labor. Due to poor nutrition, unbearable working conditions and diseases, no more than a hundred islanders survived. And only thanks to the intervention of France, the surviving inhabitants of Rapa Nui were returned to the island. At the time the island joined Chile in 1888, about 200 indigenous people lived here.

The missionaries who arrived on the island discovered a society in decline here, it did not take a lot of time to convert its inhabitants to Christianity. Immediately, changes were made to the clothing of the indigenous population, or rather, its complete absence. The inhabitants of the island were deprived of their ancestral lands, they lived in a small part of the island, while the arriving farmers used the rest of the land for farming.

Tattoos were forbidden, houses and ritual shrines were destroyed, works of art of the Rapanuiites were destroyed. All the island’s wooden sculptures, religious artifacts, and, most importantly, “” (rap. Rongo Rongo) - wooden planks of the “talking tree”, dotted with unique writing, were destroyed. Easter Island is the only island in Polynesia whose inhabitants developed their own writing system. Ancient legends, traditions, religious chants were carved by shark teeth on the planks of dark toromiro wood, only a few of which have survived. Kauhau plaques with the images of a winged human bird, frogs, turtles, lizards, stars, crosses and spirals drawn on them are another mystery of the outlandish island that scientists can not decipher for more than 130 years. Only 25 left now rongo rongoscattered around the museums of the world.

In 1988, Rapa Nui gave scientists another surprise. During excavations in a small swamp in the depths of the island, Australian scientists found the remains of a medieval knight in full outfit sitting on a war horse. In peat, which has preservative properties, the knight and horse are well preserved. Judging by his armor, the knight was a member of the German Catholic Livonian Order (1237-1562). Gold belt hungarian ducats of coinage of 1326 were found in the waist wallet; these coins were in circulation in Poland and Lithuania. Scientists could not explain how the horseman was thousands of kilometers on the remote Pacific island. Before the discovery of America (1492), from 1326 there were more than 150 years left! Thoughts involuntarily suggest the existence of a teleportation phenomenon. No more convincing arguments explaining the appearance of a medieval crusader knight on Easter Island have been found to this day.

A slight sad retreat

The phenomenal Easter Island, which is a small piece of land (only 165 m²), at the time of the construction of mysterious giants was 3-4 times larger than before. Some of it, like Atlantis, hid under the water. In quiet, sunny weather, areas of flooded land are visible through the water column. There is even such an incredible version: the mysterious Easter Island is a tiny surviving part of the ancestor of humanity, the mythical mainland Lemuria, which sank about 4 million years ago.

And the pearl island, located in Oceania far from civilization, leads to certain thoughts and conclusions. The history of Easter Island is a miniature copy of the history of our time. She is able to teach a visual lesson to us, the inhabitants of planet Earth. All of us, in essence, are residents of the island, floating in a vast ocean.

On a tiny piece of land, such as Easter Island, the effects of a barbaric attitude to nature and ruthless deforestation are well traced. Residents, continuing their monstrous actions, probably prayed to their gods to make up for the damage done to their land. To continue to continue to abuse her.

What could the gods do? Only one thing is to enlighten the person who cut down the last tree. The man understood that this tree was the last, however, he chopped it down. This is the worst tragedy of our time ...