Key Facts about Rapa Nui

About Rapa Nui:

• Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is a Chilean dependency in the southeastern Pacific Ocean.
• It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world.
• It is situated about 3,540 km to the west of Chile and about 1,900 km to the east of Pitcairn Island.
• Covering a total area of 163.6 sq.km., it is one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. 
• It is a small, triangular-shaped volcanic island. It is about 24 km in length and has a maximum width of about 12 km at its widest point. 
• It faces a tropical rainforest climate.
• UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site on March 22, 1996, and major parts of the island have been protected under the Rapa Nui National Park.
• What are Moai Statues?
  • Rapa Nui is famous for its large statues called moai.
  • They are shaped like large human heads and erected on stone pedestals.
  • They are famous for their carved heads and “Pukao,” a hat-like covering made from a soft red stone.
  • Some moai stand 40 feet tall and weigh 75 tonnes.
  • They were carved in volcanic stone at quarries and then moved to their current locations across the island.
  • Scholars believe the Rapa Nui people built the moai between the 13th and the 16th centuries and represented their revered ancestors.
  • Over 900 moai have been found on the island to date.

Q1: What is a volcanic island?

A volcanic island refers to a large volcano that has erupted on the seafloor and has emerged above sea level, occurring in ocean basins or on ocean ridges.

Source: New evidence upends contentious Easter Island theory, scientists say

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