Anatahan

Anatahan is one of the most active volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island of Anatahan is 9 kilometers (6 mi) long and has a land area of 31.21 km2 (12.05 sq mi). Formerly inhabited, it now has no population because of the always-present danger of volcanic eruptions. Sparseness of vegetation in the most recent lava flows on Anatahan indicated that they were of Holocene age, but the first historical eruption of Anatahan did not occur until May 2003, when a large explosive eruption took place forming a new crater inside the eastern caldera. The most recent eruption was in 2007, and lasted until 2008.