Major Cities near World's Most Fearsome Active Volcanoes
Volcanoes can make for some of the most dramatic skylines on the Earth. Although the odds of their erupting maybe slim, there are a number of volcanoes that lie just around the city. Any city that lies in the shadow of a volcano feels mythic. Since 1900, there have three major eruptions in urban zones which include St. Pierre, the capital of Martinique, Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat and Armero, a Columbian city. It is not a concern for the residents in the cities. Just because a volcano is present, it does not mean that its impact will be serious. Here are the major cities near the most fearsome active volcanoes in the World. 
- Naples, Italy: This is the most threatened area and it sits near the super volcanic Campi Flegrei fields which is as close to Vesuvius as Pompeii. The best protection for the city are the winds that blow northeast.
- Hilo, HI: Hilo is the closest city to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and is aware of the potential precarious placement. Lava flows in Hawaiian volcano are quite slow which give the residents enough time to evacuate should the situation arise.
- Arequipa, Peru: Known as the White City for the volcanic sillar it is built from, Arequipa is the second largest city and epicenter of the alpaca sweater trade. If the volcano awakens, there could be threat of a torrent of ash, an avalanche or a Pompeii style pyroclastic flow. Currently, El Misti is one of the least active volcanoes on the list.
- Peurto de la Cruz, Spain: This is a beach town which is close to the earths most destructive volcanoes. Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spain but its days of causing damage are numbered. It is classified as dormant but remains on the volcanoes project watch list.
- Legazpi City, Philippines: Grown as a flourishing tourist destination for nature parks and beaches, the Mount Mayon is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has the perfect conical shape and there are 900,000 people living around the base.
- Santorini, Greece: The largest volcanic event happened 3600 years ago, which is due to this beautiful island and was caused by a volcano. Santorini is a famous tourist destination and Kolumbo is a submarine volcano in the Aegean Sea that has serious tsunami producing potential.
- Shimabara, Japan: Shimbara lies on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu and the city was spared from the famous eruption of 1792 of Mount Unzen. Scientists are monitoring any heated mudflows and heavy ash falls that threaten the city.
- Catania, Sicily: The largest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna is the worlds most easily visited. The residents have refashioned the volcanic rock into the marvel of baroque architecture since the lava flows in 1669.
- Batangas City, Philippines: One of the worlds lowest volcanoes, Mount Taal is 311 meters above sea level. It is a volcano inside of a lake and is considered as a devastating volcano especially to the Batangas city which is one of the fastest growing urban zones in the Philippines. It has the ability to produce ash falls that are enough to crush the roofs of homes.
- Managua, Nicaragua: Volcan Masaya is a 21 square mile area of lava rock and wildflowers which is better known for seeping large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the air rather than huge eruptions. It has gotten more active since the 90s and it has an unfortunate location on the active fault line which is a cause of worry. It could also lead to an earthquake eruption.
