Rapa Nui

(Easter Island, Isla de Pascua)

Rapa Nui, a small island 2200 miles off the west coast of Chile, was originally settled by Polynesians. They or their descendants carved giant stone figures of their chieftains called moai and erected them throughout the island to provide ceremonial protection to their clans. Warfare between the clans resulted in the toppling of all the moai but some have been restored to their original positions atop platforms called ahus. They make a dramatic backtrop to the island landscape.

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