The ancient people of the island relied on it for fish and other seafood, even though they were primarily farmers. Ocean wildlife was an important part of their culture, like the seabirds that inspired the annual birdman competition to determine the early islanders' next ruler.
Today, the ocean and the unique cultural features of the island bring many visitors and tourists from all over the world, which is an important source of income for Rapa Nui. People come to swim, surf, and scuba dive, and to explore the island's history, including the moai statues left by its early inhabitants. Tourism like this provides an incentive for the people of Rapa Nui to protect their environment and preserve natural features like the volcanoes' crater lakes and the coral reefs surrounding the island.
Rapa Nui may have had forests once, but today it is mostly grassland, with many hills and small mountains from the volcanoes that first formed the island. It can be difficult to find fresh water on Rapa Nui because all the water in the surrounding ocean is salty and not good for people, animals, or crops. The ancient islanders collected much of their water for drinking and washing from the crater lakes at the tops of the volcanoes. That's a very long hike just to get a drink!
Today, drinking water on the island comes from freshwater reserves stored underground and protected by volcanic rock, and the islanders also collect rainwater. However, even the ancient Rapa Nui people had trouble protecting their crops from the salt and wind of the ocean, and on an island as remote as this one, what you grow is what you eat!
