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Isla Sala Y GmezIsla Sala y Gmez (Rapa Nui: Motu Motiro Hiva) is a small uninhabited island lying in the eastern Pacific at 2627'S 10528'W. It is part of Chile's Easter Island province. It lies around 400 km east of Easter Island and with it forms a distinct ecoregion, called the Rapa Nui subtropical broadleaf forests. However, the island itself has never been forested and is home to only four species of plants. The island is of volcanic origin, forming the summit of a mountain which rises about 3500 m from the sea bed. It consists of two larger rocks, which are connected by a narrow isthmus. It has an area of 2.5 km, about 700 m long and 450 m broad. A recess contains sometimes fresh water. At its highest point, the island measures 30 m. The island varies with the tides between 300 and 70 metres in length and is usually showered with saltwater. However, a depression often forms a freshwater pool and as such the island is known for nesting seabirds. Landing on Sala y Gmez is considered difficult, but Easter Islanders claim that they traditionally visited the islet to collect fledglings and eggs. It is named for Sala y Gmez, a Spanish sailor and the first European to reach the island, in 1793. In 1994, the Chilean Navy installed an automated beacon and a tsunami warning system. Adalbert von Chamisso wrote a poem about the island.
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