Most people have heard of the decimation of the population of Easter Island (also called Rapa Nui) and have seen pictures of the massive stone statues (moai) that line the coastline. The conventional explanation of population decline is that the islanders cut down all the islandâs trees, precipitating an ecological reaction that killed off most of the population.
But this is no longer accepted as an accurate description of what happened. Anthropologist Terry Hunt, who carried out extensive archaeological field research on Easter Island, tells the story in The Folio Book of Historical Mysteries (The Folio Society, 2008).
Easter Island, 24km long by 16km wide, was named by Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen, who landed there on Easter Sunday 1722. Located in the South Pacific, it is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world â the nearest inhabited land is Pitcairn Island (colonised by the Bounty mutineers) 2,015km away. Chile is more than 3,000km away.
Voyager avec Le Mag Découvrez les mystères de l ïle de Pâques vosgesmatin.fr - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vosgesmatin.fr Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
How The United States Stole American Samoa Shutterstock
By Cody Copeland/Dec. 30, 2020 1:29 pm EDT
Whether it s suppressing independence fighters in the Philippines, economically exploiting Puerto Rico, or atom-bombing the crap out of the Marshall Islands, the United States has a long history of playing empire with islands far from its own borders. The country finally gave in and granted Hawaii statehood in 1959, but many others have been subjected to U.S. rule without enjoying benefits like being able to vote or self-govern. American Samoa is one such case.
According to Britannica, the Samoan islands have been inhabited since Polynesians most likely Tongans arrived around 1000 BC. It is believed that within five centuries, the islands became the point of origin for people who voyaged east to settle other islands in Polynesia. The first European to sight Samoa was Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen in 1722, and others followed. As noted by World Travel Guide, th
MICHELLE OBAMA HIGHLIGHTS AMERICAN SAMOA Submitted by admin on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 00:00
Special recognition for preservation of heritage
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa, (Samoa News, April 2, 2010) - Governor Togiola Tulafono on Thursday announced United States First Lady Michelle Obama has designated American Samoa as a Preserve America Community the first U.S. territory designated in its entirety.
Governor Togiola said Preserve America is a national initiative developed in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and other agencies, which highlights the efforts of the President and First Lady to preserve America’s national heritage. One of the components of the initiative is the designation of Preserve America Communities.