Mount
Etna (also known as Mongibeddu in Sicilian
and Mongibello in Italian,
a combination of Latin mont- meaning mountain and the
local word for beautiful) is an active volcano
on the east coast of Sicily,
close to Messina and
Catania. It is the largest active
volcano in Europe,
currently standing about 3,326 m (10,910 ft) high,
though it should be noted that this varies with summit
eruptions; the mountain is 21.6 m (71 ft) lower now than
it was in 1865. It is the
highest mountain in Italy south of the
Alps. Etna covers an area of
1,190 kmē (460 square miles) with a basal circumference
of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three
active volcanoes in Italy,
being nearly three times the height of the next largest,
Mount Vesuvius.
Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being particularly dangerous, and thousands of people live on its slopes and in the surrounding areas. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.