Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Easter Island

Easter Island also known as Rapa Nui is the most remote island on earth. With that said it's the last place you'd expect to find massive moai statues. On this list we count down the top 12 things you didn't know about this mysterious island.

Easter Sunday - 0:10
European Settlers arrived on Easter Island in 1722, upon arrival Dutch Admiral Jacob Roggeveen ‘discovered’ and named the island on Easter sunday. The naming of Rapa Nui on Easter sunday seems irrelevant considering it is believed the people of Rapa Nui first inhabited the island between 300 and 800 AD.
Movie - 0:32
Kevin Costner produced the movie, “Rapa Nui” on the island in 1993. The shooting of movie included two locals who described it as "you know, the usual Hollywood romance." Costner’s movie featured a dumbed down interpretation of Easter Island culture and history which was ==chosen for “dramatic purposes”. Regardless the movie didn’t boost the island’s tourism all that much.
Stupid Tourist - 0:54
In 2008 a Finnish tourist was caught chipping a piece off the earlobe of one of the moai statues. Rapa Nui, under the protection of being a World Heritage Site, delivered this dumb tourist a steep fine in the amount of $17,000 US dollars and was ejected from the island and told not to return for 3 years. So wait a sec… he vandalizes a centuries old heritage statue yet he only gets a 3 year ban!? If it were up to me I’d give him a lifetime ban. Moving on...
Removed Moai - 1:22
There used to be thousands of moai on Easter Island but now there are only 887 left. Easter Island was declared a World Heritage Site in 1995 but before protection was granted, many of them were taken from Easter Island by collectors. Numerous stolen moai now reside in museums worldwide, including the British Museum and the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
Culture - 1:48
Starting in 1975 the people of Easter Island have held the festival of Tapati, every February, to celebrate their culture. The festival has many traditional activities like dancing, wood carving and music. The musicians of Rapa Nui play an unique 8-string flat ukuleles that look like mini electric guitars, but they are one of a kind and quite rare as there is only one artist and his father who make them.
Remote - 2:08
Easter Island also known as Rapa Nui, is the most remote inhabited island on planet Earth. It belongs to the Chilean Valparaiso region but is located 2,182 mi (3800 km) off the Chilean coast. The next closest island of over 500 population is Rikitea which is located on the island of Mangareva which is 1,619 (2600 km) mi away. Talk about feeling isolated….
Origins - 2:35
The language of Rapa Nui is very similar to the one spoken in Hawaii and Tahiti. At one time all three regions were of “one people” but later Chili claimed Rapa Nui, the United States took Hawaii, and the French took Tahiti.
Ownership - 2:50
Non-Rapa Nui people cannot own land on Easter Island, whether they be hippies of Chile or greedy resort builders. Now if they’re a greedy resort builder born of Rapa Nui descent… that’s ok.
Construction - 3:02
The heaviest standing moai statue weighs over 80 tons. These statues were carved by master sculptors using massive chunks of volcanic ash, eyes made from white coral, and pupils made from obsidian. Some moai have large red stone hats or ‘pukao’ atop their heads. Moai range in height from 12 to 30 feet and were so heavy it took over 100 people to drag and lift a single moai into position.
Marriage - 3:27
It’s forbidden by law to marry with you 3rd cousin in Rapa Nui law. This makes it difficult for Rapa Nui people to marry as there are only around 5800 people living on the island. Maybe they’ll have to stick to doing a skype marriage…. ahhhhh
Keeping Watch - 3:42
Easter Island is home to 887 giant stone “moai” statues. These moai statues were carved by different tribes on the islands, they were positioned to be facing the tribe’s village that carved them so that the moai could always protect them. Legend has it the moai could walk when commanded by a king.
Fatboy - 3:58
The largest moai statue on Easter Island is known as the ‘Fatboy’ but was left incomplete, lying down and not completely carved away from the volcanic ash. If completed it would have been 63 feet tall and weighing in over 270 tons making it by far the largest moai on Easter Island!