3G0Y and XR0Y will be active from Easter Island, IOTA SA - 001, Chile, 22 - 29 October 2023.
Team - CE2ML, CE2LR.
They will operate on HF Bands.
QSL via CE2ML.
Ads for direct QSL:
Luis Matho, c/o Burgos 255, # 91, Las Condes, Santiago, 7550160, Chile.
Easter Island
Lost in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island actually has several other names, the most famous of which is Rapa Nui. It belongs to Chile, being part of the Valparaiso region. It has an area of 163.6 kilometres2. The distance from the island to the mainland is 3,514 kilometres, making it the furthest island in the world with a population. The nearest inhabited island, Pitcairn, is just over 2,000 kilometres away.
Why does the island have several names?
It was named after Jacob Roggeveen, who discovered it. The discoverer discovered it on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1722. So the name was not thought of for a long time. Perhaps the Dutch were not the first to learn about this island, but it was Jacob Roggeveen who described it and determined its coordinates. James Cook, who also visited the island, called it Vaikhu or Teapi. In 2018, consideration was given to giving the island the official name Rapa Nui. The name is of Polynesian origin and means big or great Rapa. This is what navigators from Tahiti called it. The natives called it Mata-ki-te-Ragi, which from the Rapa Nui language can be translated as "Eyes looking into the sky" and Te Pito-o-te-henua, which means "The navel of the earth".
Natural and climatic features of the island
It has a shape similar to a right triangle. The length of its sides is 16 kilometres, 18 kilometres and 24 kilometres respectively. The island is of volcanic origin. Extinct volcanoes are located at the corners of this triangle. Terevaka volcano with a height of 539 metres is the highest point of the island. It has several craters that have turned into fresh water lakes. The largest is the crater of Rano-Kau volcano with a diameter of 1500 metres. The lakes in the craters of the volcanoes are the main sources of fresh water on the island. There are no rivers. People created artificial reservoirs and constructed wells.
Easter Island is located in the tropical climate zone. Its climate is characterised by moderation with small temperature variations. The hottest month is January with an average temperature of +24.6C. The average temperature in August is +19.2C. The minimum temperature is observed in July-October, it is +15C. The island does not experience the intense heat typical of tropical climates due to the proximity of the cold current and winds coming from Antarctica.
Flora and fauna
The island's vegetation is sparse. The tropical forests that used to cover the island have gradually disappeared from its surface. This was due to irrational human activity, droughts and soil erosion. Botanists say that only about thirty plant species remain. Endemic plants have been largely exterminated. The species currently growing have been imported from different continents. Only the inner slopes of volcanoes are characterised by abundant vegetation due to more fertile soils and the absence of strong winds. Around lakes there are favourable conditions for the growth of sedges and reeds. Eucalyptus is also found. The volcanic origin of the island has affected the composition and quality of the soils. The most fertile soils are located in the northern part of the island. They are suitable for growing crops such as yams and yams. The representatives of imported agricultural plants are grapes and bananas. Sugar cane is cultivated.
The animal world is not notable for its richness. It is represented mainly by sea creatures, which are very few. The feathered world is represented by twenty-five species of sea birds and six land birds. The locals used to breed chickens.
What is Easter Island famous for?
Easter Island is famous for its famous giant statues. Thanks to them it is known as mysterious and enigmatic. The natives believe in the supernatural power embedded in the stone statues by their ancestors. Statues made of volcanic tuff are called Moai. They take the form of a human head with a torso that is truncated to about waist height. Some heads are covered with red cap-like stones. They are up to twenty metres high. All the heads look deep into the territory of the island. An unsolved mystery is where these statues came from, by whom they were made and how they were moved.
Quarries where the statues were made have been found on the island. They are located in the crater of the Rano Raraku volcano. It is not clear how the statues were moved quite a long distance and are located along the coast. Their weight ranges from tens to hundreds of tonnes. One of the most gigantic figures weighs 270 tonnes. Several hundred statues were left unfinished. Researchers of this issue have the impression that the production of Moai was for some reason interrupted suddenly. Parts of the statues, abandoned tools, and finished statues were found along the roads. There are many versions of solving this mystery, from the existence of an ancient civilisation with incredible abilities, to the coming of aliens. The most plausible assumption seems to be the creation and movement of the statues by the ancient inhabitants of the island. However, many locals believe that the stone statues reached the places where they were found on their own.
The most interesting tourist sites
Not surprisingly, the most visited tourist sites are the places where the Moai are located. At the foot of the Rano-Raraku volcano, there are about three hundred of them. They are located simply on the terrain and on ceremonial sites. One of them bears the name of Tongariki. Fifteen different sized statues are frozen on it. Another ceremonial platform is Te Pito-te-henua, made of round stones. The ceremonial village of Orongo is overlooked from the edge of the Rano-Kao crater. Nearby is another extinct volcano called Puna Pau, notable for the presence of red stone such as on the heads of the statues.
Apart from this, tourists may also be interested in visiting the Catholic Church, which is adorned with skilful wood carvings. Of the several beaches available on the island, locals consider Anakena to be the best. It is located in a cosy ocean bay with white sand. And the palm groves surrounding it are perfect for organising a picnic. There are enough cafes and restaurants with sea food and unique ocean views along the coast. Tourists can stay in a hotel, mini-hotel or private sector. It is also possible to find a place in a campsite. The only city and capital of the island is Anga Roa.
Unsolved mysteries of Easter Island
It is not only the presence of Moai that makes Easter Island interesting. It is believed to have had a very advanced civilisation. It is the only island in Polynesia that had its own written language. Wooden plaques with hieroglyphics have been found. They also depict lizards, turtles, stars. Very interesting is the image of a bird-man, the image of which is cultised by the local population. In the village of Orongo there are petroglyphs depicting bird-man and the god Make-Make. Not all the tablets with ancient inscriptions have been deciphered, so many of the island's mysteries remain unsolved.