EASTER ISLAND

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui in the local language, got its name from the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who first visited the island on Easter Sunday in 1722. He named the island "Paasch-Eyland" (Easter Island in Dutch) to commemorate the day of his arrival.

The island was already inhabited by the Rapa Nui people when Roggeveen arrived, and they had their own name for the island, which was "Te Pito o Te Henua." The name means "The Navel of the World" in the Rapa Nui language, reflecting the island's isolation and the importance that the Rapa Nui people placed on their home.

writtenbyNicole