Krakatoa, or Krakatau (Indonesian: Krakatau), is a volcanic island situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). The name is also used for the surrounding island group and sometimes the volcano as a whole. The Krakatoa volcanoes erupted and exploded in 1883, causing a massive tsunami and killing an estimated 36,417 people, while simultaneously destroying over two-thirds of Krakatoa island. The explosion is considered to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history, with reports of it being heard up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from its point of origin. The shock waves from the explosion were recorded on barographs around the globe.
Currently, what had been the northern-most of the three pre-1883 Krakatoa volcanoes, Perboewatan, has re-emerged from the ocean, and is the principal force in the on-going formation of a new island, Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatoa".
Read more about Krakatoa: Historical Significance, Etymology, Geographical Setting, Pre-1883 History, The 1883 Eruption, Biological Research