Easter Island Chile |
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Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. A territory of Chile, it lies far off in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway to Tahiti from South America. The history of Easter Island is one of supreme accomplishment, flourishing and civilization, followed by environmental devastation and decline. It is most famous for its enigmatic giant stone busts, built centuries ago. Although it is not agreed when people first arrived on Easter Island (with estimates ranging from several hundred to more than one thousand years ago), consensus seems to be that the first peoples arrived from Polynesia. Rather than being inhabited by mistake or chance, evidence has suggested that Easter Island was colonized deliberately by large boats with many settlers -- a remarkable feat given the distance of Easter Island from any other land in the Pacific Ocean. The English name of the island commemorates the island's European discovery by a Dutch exploration vessel on Easter Sunday in 1722. Today, Rapa Nui National Park is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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