Aeolian Islands

The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, Italy, named after Aeolus, the mythical ruler of the winds. The archipelago is built from seven principal islands, Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea, with a combined area of about 114.7 square kilometers and a permanent population of roughly 15,400. Its highest point is Monte Fossa delle Felci on Salina, at 962 meters. Stromboli and Vulcano remain volcanically active, and UNESCO inscribed the islands as a World Heritage Site in 2000 for offering an outstanding record of ongoing volcanic island building and destruction. The islands also draw about 600,000 tourists a year.