Rapa Nui is literally in the middle of the ocean. The nearest inhabited island is Pitcairn, about 2,000 kilometers away, and mainland Chile is about 3,700 kilometers away. It was precisely this tremendous isolation from the rest of the world that gave rise to such a special culture and mentality.
The island has an area of 170 km2 approximately 7,750 inhabitants, who live mainly in its capital and only population center called Hanga Roa.