Easter Island sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about 2,300 miles from Chile. It is one of the most isolated places on Earth. The nearest inhabited land is Pitcairn Island, over 1,200 miles away. Despite its tiny size -- only 63 square miles -- the island holds nearly 900 giant stone statues called moai. The statues were carved by the Rapa Nui people, who settled the island around 1200 CE. Some moai stand over 30 feet tall and weigh more than 80 tons. On April 5, 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to reach the island. He arrived on Easter Sunday, which is how the island got its European name. Roggeveen and his crew were astonished by the moai. They could not understand how people on such a small island had moved such enormous stones. Scientists now believe the Rapa Nui "walked" the statues into place by rocking them back and forth using ropes. The island's geography made this achievement even more remarkable. Easter Island has no tall trees today and limited fresh water. The Rapa Nui built a civilization in one of the most challenging environments on the planet.