Rapa Iti
Encyclopedia
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
), is the largest and only inhabited island of the Bass Islands in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
. An older name for the island is Oparo Its area is 40 km2 with a population of almost 500 and a max elevation of 650 m. Its main town is Ahuréi
Ahurei
Ahuréi , is the capital of Rapa and the rest of the Bass Islands of French Polynesia...
.
Geography
Rapa Iti is located at 27°35′00"S 144°20′00"W. It is shaped roughly like a GreekGreek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
final sigma (ς), with a well-protected central bay, surrounded by a ring of relatively high mountains. The whole island appears very much to be the peak of a sinking volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, with the bay as the caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
. The area of the island is 40 km² (15.4 sq mi).
Its main town, Ahuréi (sometimes called Ahurei, Ha'urei or Ha'uréi, latter two also show how it is pronounced), lies on both the northern and southern shores of that bay, which is called the Baie d'Ahuréi. The people are Polynesian. Former times' warfare is indicated by 28 extant ridgetop forts. Today Rapa is home to the Tahitian Choir, in which a third of the island's population sing traditional songs.
Although sometimes considered part of the Austral Islands
Austral Islands
The Austral Islands are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. Geographically, they consist of two separate archipelagos, namely in the northwest the Tubuai Islands consisting of the Îles Maria, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai...
, Rapa Iti and the Bass Islands have a different geological, linguistic and cultural history.
History
Rapa Iti was first settled by the RapanRapan language
Rapan is the language of Rapa, in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia. It is classified as an East Central Polynesian language, along with the Marquesic and Tahitic languages....
speaking Polynesians
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
, most likely in the 13th century.
The first European to encounter Rapa was George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
in 1791; he named the island Oparo. Numerous ancient ruins ("pa" or "pare", a type of fort) are found on the island, particularly on peaks and clifftops. Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
, notably, made excavations here, seeking links between Rapa Iti and Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
Manatau French Polynesian Reserve
The Manatau French Polynesian Reserve is a special French Polynesian Reserve to protect the animals and ridgetop forts of an area of southern Rapa. It is located near South Ahuréi (suburb of AhuréiAhurei
Ahuréi , is the capital of Rapa and the rest of the Bass Islands of French Polynesia...
).
Administration
The commune of Rapa consists of the islands of Rapa Iti and the four uninhabited MarotiriMarotiri (Austral Islands)
Marotiri is a group of four uninhabited volcanic rocks protruding from the sea , forming the southeastern end of the Austral Islands of French Polynesia. Marotiri is located at . The closest island is Rapa Iti, 75 km further northwest, but separated from it by an ocean depth of more than 1,500 meters...
rocks.