INDONESIA - Java -

Around Merapi Volcano

Living in the shadows of an active volcano is like sitting on a time bomb, especially when one of them is called the Fire Mountain or Gunung Merapi, the volcano that dominates the center of the island of Java.  Mt Merapi (2,911 meters), located near Yogyakarta, is one of the most active volcanoes on earth. It is one of some 500 volcanoes in Indonesia, from which at least 129 are active, aptly giving this archipelago the name: the Ring of Fire.  For through its eruptions Merapi spews lava, ash and minerals to the surrounding areas. These provide nutrients for the soil, making this one of the most fertile areas in the world, and consequently the most densely populated.