Easter Island

Introduction
Land
- Relief
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
Economy
History
- Archaeology
- Traditional culture

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Large rocks with carved petroglyphs overlook the blue ocean and small offshore islets on Easter Island.

At a Glance

Easter Island summary

Quizzes

Islands and Archipelagos

Ancient Egyptian carving of Pharaoh Seti I holding his flail before the god of the underworld Osiris with Horus behind him. Abydos Temple, Egypt. Ancient carving, on public display for 2,000 years

Archaeology: Great Discoveries Quiz

Related Questions

How did Catholic missionaries influence Easter Island society in the 1860s?
How did Easter Island receive its European name?
How did Rapa Nui sculptors carve and finish moai statues?
How did experiments show that upright moai could be moved with ropes?
How did the Peruvian slave raid of 1862 affect Easter Island?
How is Easter Island connected to the Polynesian Triangle?
How large was the biggest moai that once stood on an ahu platform?
How tall is the largest unfinished moai at Rano Raraku?
How were moai kavakava wooden figures used in Easter Island ceremonies?
What animals and human figures appear in Easter Island rock carvings?
What does boustrophedon writing look like on rongo-rongo tablets?
What evidence suggests that moai carving stopped suddenly at Rano Raraku?
What happened to many of Easter Island’s statues during the late cultural period?
What is the Rapa Nui Marine Protected Area?
What kinds of buildings stood in the village of Orongo?
What materials formed the eyes of some Easter Island statues?
What types of volcanic rock are common on Easter Island?
What was the birdman cult on Easter Island?
What were the ahu platforms used for on Easter Island?
Where do most people on Easter Island live?
Where is Easter Island located in the Pacific Ocean?
Where is Easter Island’s only true sand beach?
Where was the ceremonial centre of Easter Island’s birdman rites?
Where were most of Easter Island’s middle-period moai carved?
Which European explorer first landed on Easter Island in 1722?
Which Polynesian island group may have been the origin of Easter Island’s first settlers?
Which extinct volcanoes have crater lakes on Easter Island?
Whom did the moai statues likely represent?
Why did the population of Easter Island fall to 111 people by 1877?
Why does Easter Island have few streams and little surface water?
Why was Easter Island added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995?
Where is Naoero located?
Why is Naoero famous?
Why did Nauru change its name to Naoero?
What language is spoken in Naoero?

Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land Islands & Archipelagos

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External Websites

University of Prince Edward Island - Institute of Island Studies - Rapa Nui (Easter Island) (PDF)
LiveScience - Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and its famous Moai statues
The Met - Easter Island
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library - eVols - How did Chile acquire Easter Island?
NOVA Online - Secrets of Easter Island
Official Tourism Site of Easter Island

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Easter Island - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Easter Island

island, Chile

Also known as: Rapa Nui

Written by

Thor Heyerdahl

Explorer, anthropologist, writer, and lecturer. Organizer and leader of Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific, 1955–56, and many other expeditions. Author of Aku-Aku:...

Thor HeyerdahlAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 3, 2026 •History

Easter Island, Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world. It is famous for its giant stone statues. The island stands in isolation 1,200 miles (1,900 km) east of Pitcairn Island and 2,200 miles (3,540 km) west of Chile. Forming a triangle 14 miles (23 km) long by 7 miles (11 km) wide, it has an area of 63 square miles (163 square km); its highest...

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