Easter Island has been described as one of the loneliest places on Earth. Measuring a mere 16 miles in length, it lies approximately 1200 miles (2,000 km) from its closest neighbor. It is also home to more than 600 enormous stone statues, some of which are 30 feet (9 m) in height.
Discovered by Dutch sailors on Easter Sunday in the year 1722 (hence the name), the Island was home to approximately 3,000 inhabitants at one point. By the late 1800's, the native population had died out as a result of famine and civil war.
