Key Facts about Rapa Nui

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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