Native name: Isola di Vulcano | |
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Geography | |
Location | Tyrrhenian Sea |
Coordinates | 38°23′58″N 14°57′50″E / 38.399434°N 14.963955°E |
Archipelago | Aeolian Islands |
Area | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
Length | 8 km (5 mi) |
Width | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
Administration | |
Region | Sicily |
Province | Metropolitan City of Messina |
Commune | Lipari |
Demographics | |
Population | 450 (2019) |
Vulcano (Sicilian: Vurcanu) or Vulcan is a small volcanic island belonging to Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 20 km (12 mi) north of Sicily and located at the southernmost end of the seven Aeolian Islands.[1] The island is known for its volcanic activity and contains several volcanic calderas, including one of the four active volcanoes in Italy that are not submarine. The English word "volcano", and its equivalent in several European languages, derives from the name of this island, which derives from the Roman belief that the tiny island was the chimney of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. In November 2021, 150 people were evacuated from the island's harbour area due to increased volcanic activity and gases; an amber alert had been issued in October 2021 after several significant changes in the volcano's parameters.[2]