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• One of the most remote locations in the world, Easter Island is home to enormous stone statues called Moai. The Moai are human figures carved by the Rapanui inhabitants of the island in the years between 1250 and 1500. Easter Island is a territory of Chile, located on the south Pacific, 2,000 miles off the west coast of South America.

• Fast Facts

  1. Location: 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile
  2. Size: 63 square miles
  3. Population: About 4,000
  4. Named by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen who discovered it on Easter Sunday, 1722
  5. Also known as Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascua

• A Civilization Falls

  Easter Island was once believed to be inhabited by an advanced and peaceful culture whose numbers may have reached as high as 9,000 or 10,000 people at the peak of the civilization. Then something on the island went awry, and over a fairly short period of time the inhabitants were all but wiped out.

• No Trees, No Humans

  What is known for sure is that the loss of the island's plentiful supply of trees coincides with the disappearance of much of the human population. Some speculate that the greedy island dwellers cut down all the trees, thus sealing their own doom. Others believe European rats were responsible for the loss of trees. Still others blame overpopulation, overhunting, and poor farming practices. Today, a small number of inhabitants still call the island home, making their living largely from the tourist trade.

• Vacation Activities

  1. Moai Statue sightseeing
  2. Exploring caves and volcanoes
  3. Hiking
  4. Horseback Riding
  5. Canoeing and Kayaking
  6. Scuba diving
  7. Mountain biking
  8. Fishing

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Statues of Easter Island | Chile | Pacific Ocean | Deforestation | Overpopulation | Rats | Stonehenge | Machu Picchu | Best Historical Mysteries

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