Changes

Eventually (circa 1700 AD), the Easter Islanders exhausted their forests, could build no more canoes, and overshot the food growing capacity of their garden plots. A famine and war broke out, and the [[population crash]]ed to a couple thousand people at most.  This happened sometime between the first and second contact with Europeans.  Warfare had led to the deliberate toppling of all the statues by the time of second European contact.   

Eventually (circa 1700 AD), the Easter Islanders exhausted their forests, could build no more canoes, and overshot the food growing capacity of their garden plots. A famine and war broke out, and the [[population crash]]ed to a couple thousand people at most.  This happened sometime between the first and second contact with Europeans.  Warfare had led to the deliberate toppling of all the statues by the time of second European contact.   

In modern times, Easter Island is  deforested and depends on support from Chile as well as tourism for its local economy.

In modern times, Easter Island is  deforested and depends on support from Continental Chile as well as tourism for its local economy.

In his book <cite>Collapse</cite>, [[Jared Diamond]] has cited Easter Island as a cautionary tale for what happens when a society foolishly squanders its natural resources without regard for the future, a process that admittedly happens much faster in the restricted case of an island.

In his book <cite>Collapse</cite>, [[Jared Diamond]] has cited Easter Island as a cautionary tale for what happens when a society foolishly squanders its natural resources without regard for the future, a process that admittedly happens much faster in the restricted case of an island.

[[Category:Chilean Islands]]

[[Category:Chilean Islands]]