Chile
Easter Island 3D
Welcome to Easter Island, a remote speck of land far out in the Pacific Ocean, belonging to Chile! Nearly a thousand giant stone statues called moai stand watch over the island, carved by the Rapa Nui people hundreds of years ago.
Why is it famous?
It is one of the most remote inhabited islands on Earth, over 2,000 miles from the nearest big city.
Almost 1,000 giant carved stone statues called moai stand across the island, some over 30 feet tall.
How were they built?
The Rapa Nui people carved the moai from volcanic rock at a quarry called Rano Raraku, using simple stone tools.
Nobody knows for certain exactly how the statues were moved miles across the island — some legends say the moai 'walked' to their spots!
Quick facts
- The largest completed moai stands about 33 feet tall and weighs as much as 12 elephants.
- Most moai were carved to face inland, watching over the villages like protective ancestors.
- Some moai wore giant stone 'topknots' called pukao, carved from a completely different red volcanic rock.