![]() The people who make a difference in the Canary Islands Piramides de Güímar Rapa Nui, the unsolved mysteries Few islands have fascinated so many people and for so long as Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as is known by the indigenous population, the island considered to be the most isolated on earth, part of Polynesia, a dot in the Pacific ocean between Hawaii and New Zealand.
However there are theories, and many of them are explored in a new permanent exhibition at the Parque Ethnográfico Pirámides de Güímar, founded when Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl oversaw the reconstruction of local pyramids and models of boats he used during his lifetime to prove the existence of pre-industrial revolution intercontinental sea travel. Now the park also houses this visual exhibition of the wonders of Easter island, documenting the struggles of the indigenous races with the forces of nature and the forces of European settlers, who brought Christianity, disease, slavery, and weapons, and saw the reduction of the numbers of the local population to just 111 in 1877. However according to historians, long before European settlers arrived, internal struggles and social upheavals had seen much of the island’s forests destroyed and through some combination of overharvesting/overhunting, rat predation, and climate change, the island was largely deforested, and it did not have any trees more than 10 feet tall. Loss of large trees meant that residents were no longer able to build seaworthy vessels, significantly diminishing their fishing abilities. This was further exacerbated by the loss of land birds and the collapse in seabird populations. By the 18th century, residents of the island were largely sustained by farming, with domestic chickens as the primary source of protein. An early example of extreme survival and in fact the name of the exhibition is Rapa Nui: Polinesia: Supervivencia Extrema. Present at the opening of the new exhibition were Fred Olsen, Tenerife Cabildo president Ricardo Melchior, local politicians and scientists the deputy mayor of Easter Island Ingrid Yuriko Westermeier Tuki and Sonia Haoa, a highly qualified archeologist from the island who took guests on an informative tour of the exhibition after the speeches.
| Canary Islands - 17.05.2012 - Today sees a return to the weather normally associated with the month of May in the Canaries, following the week-long heatwave. more... Tenerife - 17.05.2012 - The cancellation yesterday of the massive Rock Coast Festival in Tenerife just a week before it was due to begin has sparked a furious public outcry. more... Las Palmas - 16.05.2012 - Rock legend Bruce Springsteen delighted almost 30,000 fans at his concert last night in the football stadium in Las Palmas. more... Masca - 16.05.2012 - Criticism of foolhardy tourists dominate the media again today after another dramatic rescue, this time in the Barranco de Masca area. more... Tenerife - 16.05.2012 - Two earthquakes felt yesterday evening in several parts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria have surprised geologists, who had not detected any unusual movements in the hours leading up to them. more... ![]() ![]() The launch of international fashion heavyweight Zara’s three-storey Fifth Avenue store in New York recently also saw the unveiling of the brand’s new architectural and interior concept. more... ![]() | Elektronische Zigarette Kombiangebote Elektronische Zigarette 8,9cm mit der E-Zigarette Classic www.elektrische-zigarette.eu Holiday car Tenerife We have been in the rent a car business since 1976 in Tenerife. Our experience - your advantage. www.hermanns-cars.com Electronic Cigarette The Electronic Cigarette SLIM is recommended for smokers with few consume, occasional smokers and to go. www.liquid-shop.eu Real Estate Tenerife We are a real estate company, constituted in the year 2002, and nevertheless our professional team possesses a long trajectory in the real estate sector in the north of Tenerife. www.optima-tenerife.es ic media group |