Easter Island: A Lesson for Us Today?

    Easter Island is a 64 square mile island in the Pacific Ocean.  Since 1888 Easter Island has been a province of Chile.  The Chilean goverment has declared the entire island a historical monument.  Easter Island is most famous for its large rock statues called Moai.  The Moai standing on the island are evidence of a once thriving civilization.  The history of Easter Island carries a valuable lesson for our modern world today.

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui was once a beautiful thriving island.  There were forests of palm, haunau, and toromirs trees and an abundance of grasses, plants and shrubs.  History shows there were at least six species of land birds and Easter Island was the breeding site for many sea birds.  The soil was fertile and the island was a virtual paradise.