Rapa Nui: Polynesian Triangle

Rapa Nui Paper Rapa Nui is the most South Eastern point of the Polynesian triangle located in the Pacific Ocean. Rapa Nui is also known as Easter Island. This name came about through the voyage of Jacob Roggeveen. In the 18th century, this Dutch explorer sailed the south Pacific. He then came across the island on April 5, 1722, which so happened to be on Easter Sunday in the Christian calendar. For tradition sake, He then renamed the island Paach-Eyland, which translates to “Easter Island”. The name has stuck with the island ever since (Charola, Foot, Hunt, Martinsson-Wallin). The island is located 27ʻ09°S and 109ʻ26°W in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about 4,000 kilometers west of Santiago, Chile. The surface of the island is about
Also, they brought taro, yam, a gourd, banana, sugar cane, ti, and turmerie. The trees introduced were the paper mulberry, tapa, soapberry, Oceania rosewood, and sandalwood. There is very little of these plants that are still available (Hunt).
When the first inhabitants arrived, Rapa Nui was most likely covered with many bushes, grasslands, and wooded forests. Many areas had palms, trees, ferns, lichens, and mosses. One important tree was the Rapa Nui endemic palm tree that was similar to the Chilean Palm. With the presence of small trees and bushes, there were also insects, mollusks, and sea animals. The animal population was limited to migrating seabirds. There is not much activity left on island dues to the hunting interfering with their breeding grounds (Charola, Martinsson-Wallin).
It is said in the legend that Hotu Matuʻa divided the island, which he called Te Te Pito 'o te Henua. This was the center or end of the earth that was split into two parts: the Kote Mata Nui to the north and west, and the Kote Mata 'Iti to the east and south. Various clans named Miru or mata, which then became the Tuʻuaro, occupied the north and west. Each clan leader was Hotu Matuʻa son or grandson (Charola,
Elena. "The Heritage and Its Conservation." Easter Island (1994): n. page. World Monuments Fund. Web. .
Foot, David K. "Easter Island: A Case Study In Non-Sustainability." Greener Management International 48 (2004): 11-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Hunt, Terry L., and Carl P. Lipo. "Revisiting Rapa Nui (Easter Island) "Ecocide." Pacific Science 63.4 (2009): 601-616. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Martinsson-Wallin, Helene, and Susan J. Crockford. "Early Settlement Of Apa Nui (Easter Island)." Asian Perspectives: Journal Of Archeology For Asia & The Pacific 40.2 (2001): 244. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Scoch, Robert M., and Gary Baddeley. "A Proposal to Investigate and Possibly Uncover Significant New Evidence." The Mysteries of Easter Island (1999): n. pag. The Disinformation Company Ltd. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.