Rapa Nui National Park (Spanish: Parque nacional Rapa Nui) is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Easter Island, Chile. Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name for Easter Island; its Spanish name is Isla de Pascua. The island is in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southernmost edge of the Polynesian Triangle. Chile took control of the island in 1888. The park is famous and recognized as a World Heritage Site because of the 887 stone statues called "moai." These statues were created by the early Rapa Nui people, who lived on the island between 300 and 1200 AD. Most of the island is part of Rapa Nui National Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site on March 22, 1996, based on cultural criteria (i), (iii), and (v). The park is now managed by the Ma´u Henua Polynesian Indigenous Community, the first autonomous group on the island. The Rapa Nui people have regained control of their ancestral lands and are responsible for managing, protecting, and preserving their heritage. On December 1, 2017, former President Michelle Bachelet returned the Rapa Nui National Park to the indigenous people. This marked the first time that income from the park is used to support the island and protect its natural heritage.
Geography
The island is far from other places and forms the eastern boundary of Polynesia. It is 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) west of Chile, about 2,200 kilometers (1,400 miles) east of Pitcairn Island (the nearest human settlement), and is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. The park is triangular in shape, with a length of 23 kilometers (14 miles) and a width of 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). It is home to an ancient culture that built large stone structures called "moai," made from volcanic rocks. The land features include volcanoes and a rugged coastline. Elevation ranges from sea level to 300 meters (980 feet). The area has freshwater lakes, volcanic craters, and a coastline that is worn away by wind and water.
The park has a warm sub-tropical climate with winds that blow from the southeast between October and April. The average rainfall each year is 1,250 millimeters (49 inches), with rain falling mostly during the winter season. Average temperatures range from 19°C (66°F) in winter to 24°C (75°F) in summer.
History
The Rapa Nui people arrived on the island between 300 and 1200 CE. The park was established by the Chilean Government in 1935. Native Rapa Nui people were limited to a reserve area near the capital city of Hanga Roa, while the rest of the land was given to sheep ranchers. An independence movement began in 1964, and by the 1980s, the sheep farming lease was ended. The entire island was then declared a historic park. The island’s population increased from 2,770 in 1972 to 3,792 by 2002, with most people living in the capital.
From 1972 to 2015, the Rapa Nui National Park was managed by CONAF (National Forest Corporation). In 2016, the park was jointly managed by the government and the Ma'u Henua community. In 2017, the park was handed over to the indigenous Rapa Nui people for 50 years, with the option to renew the agreement.
Chile took control of the island in 1888. The island’s fame and World Heritage status come from the 887 remaining stone statues called "moai." Much of the island is part of the Rapa Nui National Park. On March 22, 1996, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site of cultural importance based on criteria (i), (iii), and (v).
In October 2022, a forest fire damaged the park, causing "irreparable" harm to wetlands and the moai statues in the archaeological area.
Culture
The moai statues in the park range in height from 2 to 20 meters (6 to 65 feet). The volcanic rock used to carve them is a special yellow-brown volcanic tuff found only at Ranu Raraku, on the southeast side of the island. Some moai were also carved from red scoria. The ceremonial shrines where the statues are placed for worship are called "ahu." These shrines are usually built near the coast and run parallel to it. Many unfinished moai are also found in the quarries. The creation and movement of the 887 statues are seen as impressive achievements in both art and effort. Restoration of the moai began in 1950. Between 1837 and 1864, all the standing statues were knocked over, though they suffered little damage. The reasons for this are unknown, but it likely happened during tribal wars. Later, the statues were recovered and returned to their original positions with help from other countries. The moai represented a clan's most respected ancestors, who were believed to give "mana" to living leaders. The park also contains a few petroglyphs and paintings.
The Birdman cult, which replaced the moai worship, was centered in Orongo at a ceremonial site called Mata Ngarau. This location is on a narrow ridge 250 meters (820 feet) above sea level, between the ocean and the deep crater of Rano Kau volcano. Rano Kau last erupted about 150,000 to 210,000 years ago.
The earliest people who lived on the island called it "Te Pito o Te Henua," meaning "the navel of the world." The first European to discover the island was Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Day, April 5, 1722. He named the island "Easter Island" because of the date of his discovery. He noted that the island's people were divided into three groups: those with dark skin, red skin, and very pale skin with red hair. In the 19th century, a Tahitian visitor named the island "Rapa Nui," meaning "Big Rapa" because it resembled the island of Rapa but was larger. In Chile, the island is called "Isla de Pascua," which means "Easter Island" in Spanish.
Ecology
The island’s isolation has led to many species of animals and plants that are found only there. The park is managed under IUCN Management Category II in southeastern Polynesia. Over time, the island’s biogeographic and ecological history has changed greatly from the past, when palm trees and broad-leaf forests were common. Before Polynesians arrived in the 4th century, the island had wide areas covered with trees, shrubs, ferns, and grasses. Today, the island is mostly covered in grass, with only a few ornamental trees and shrubs scattered across it.
Out of 150 recorded plant species, 45 are unique to the island. However, most of the island is now covered in grass, with only three endemic plant species remaining. In ancient times, the only trees present were Sophora toromiro and Paschalococos. The toromiro tree is now extinct on the island, and Paschalococos may be related to the Chilean palm, Jubaea chilensis. In the grassland areas, plants like Austrostipa and Nassella are common. Other species are non-native. Among the shrubs, the hau hau (Triumfetta semitriloba) is still present, but Coprosma spp. is no longer found on the island. The wood of the extinct Jubaea palm was used to make tools for moving the large stone moai statues. Carbon dating shows that this tree existed on the island until the 17th century. Ferns are native to Rapa Nui, and four of the 15 recorded species are unique to the island: Doodia paschalis, Polystichum fuentesii, Elaphoglossum skottsbergii, and Thelypteris espinosae. Triumfetta semitriloba, once thought extinct, was rediscovered in 1988. A 1991 report noted 166 introduced plant species, along with 46 native species, including nine that are unique to the island. In the lower part of the Rano Raraku crater, tall bulrushes like totora are found, likely brought to the island by travelers from South America.
The island’s only mammals are rodents and carnivores. Three species of marine turtles and two terrestrial lizards—Lepidodactylus lugubris and Ablepharus boutoui poecilopleurus—are also present. Four bird species live on the island: three land birds and one sea bird, including Fregata nubor, the red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda), and the Kermadec petrel. Three species of micro-lepidopterans, which are not related to South American species, are found in the park. One of these is Asymphorodes trichogramma.
Conservation
Invasive plants were brought to the area for use in feeding livestock. Forest fires are frequent and harm the native plants that remain. Studies by archaeologists show that the land is damaged by erosion and the large number of visitors.
Although the area was made a national park in 1935, the first management plan created by CONAF was not put into place until the 1980s. Because of limited money, conservation efforts were weak at first, so international groups helped by providing funds and technical help. Chile then formed the Rapa Nui Monuments Board, allowing actions to be taken without government control. The World Monument Fund began working there in 1968, and later UNESCO recognized the site as a cultural World Heritage location. With an airline connecting Chile and the island (the airport built in 1965 was expanded in 1985), more scientists have studied the island’s heritage, researching its past culture.
The Rapa Nui National Park is now managed by the Ma´u Henua Polynesian Indigenous Community, the first independent organization on the island. The Rapa Nui people have taken back control of their ancestral lands and are responsible for managing, protecting, and preserving their heritage. On December 1, 2017, former President Michelle Bachelet returned the Rapa Nui National Park to the indigenous people as ancestral land. For the first time, money earned from the park is used to support the island and protect its natural environment.
The park’s conservation importance comes from archaeological studies showing the cultural heritage has great intangible value. The park’s management plan focuses on these studies. The park is divided into zones: intangible, primitive, extensive use, service, CONAF (1976), and special use. Conservation efforts in areas with historical sites, such as monoliths and structures, are combined with farming, grazing, orchards, and traditional fishing in the island’s integrated management plans.
Gallery
- A monument located on Rapa Nui
- Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island
- Tukuturi, a moai statue found at Rano Raraku
- The outer slope of the Rano Raraku volcano, which was the place where moai statues were carved, and where many unfinished statues can be seen
- A view of the Rano Raraku volcano from the southern side