Motu Iti (Rapa Nui) facts for kids
Motu Iti means Little island in the Rapa Nui language. It is a small island with no people living on it, located near Motu Nui. It's about a mile from Rano Kau on the southwest side of Easter Island, which is a Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean.
Motu Iti covers an area of 1.6 hectares (about 4 acres). This makes it the second largest of the five smaller islands around Easter Island, right after Motu Nui.
Contents
Motu Iti: A Special Island
Today, Motu Iti is a safe place for birds, known as a bird sanctuary. It is also part of the Rapa Nui National Park.
History and Importance
For a long time, until the late 1800s, Motu Iti was very important to the Rapanui people, who are the native people of Easter Island.
- Tools: It was their best place to find obsidian, a type of volcanic glass. Obsidian is very sharp and was used to make many important tools.
- Food: The Rapanui also visited the island each year to collect eggs and young birds (called fledglings) from the many seabirds that nested there.
Geology of the Island
Motu Iti is actually the top part of a very large volcano that rises more than 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) from the bottom of the sea. This shows how big the underwater mountains are in this part of the Pacific.
Wildlife: Seabirds
Many different kinds of seabirds make their homes and raise their young on Motu Iti. One common bird that nests there is the sooty tern. These birds travel long distances over the ocean and rely on islands like Motu Iti for safe nesting spots.
See also
- Orongo
- Tangata Manu
