Krakatoa, Indonesia

Known as an island in the Strait of Sundra; Krakatoa, Indonesia is found between Java and Sumatra. If you take a look at a nineteenth century illustration of this district, your eyes will land on a tall volcano which has repeatedly erupted in the past that caused major damages. In August 26- 27, 1883, there was a heavy explosion that led to a series of enormous outburst. There were more than 25 cubic kilometers of ash, lava, pumice and rock ejected.

Etymology
The first mention of Krakatoa, Indonesia in the West can be cited on the map by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer. He labeled the district as “Pulo Carcata” where aside from the native spelling, the one in Portuguese is generally accepted. The real origin of the island’s name is not totally clear which according to historians, can be the result of a blunder typographically made in a source from Britain that reported the volcano’s eruption in August 26- 27, 1883.

There are three theories closely connected to Krakatoa, Indonesia. First is from Sanskrit “karkataka”, “karkata” or “karka” that means “crab” or “lobster.” Second is the onomatopoeia that renders the noise mimicked by the white parrots that once inhabited the district. Third is from Malay “kelakatu” that means “white- winged- ant.” There is also a very famous account about the island which is the aftermath of a linguistic error. It says that when a captain asked a native about his whereabouts, the latter answered, “kaga- tau” where in Betawinese signifies a slang phrase of “I do not know.”

Geography
Right before the huge eruption in August 26- 27, 1883, Krakatoa, Indonesia was comprised of main lands such as Lang and Verlatan. Currently, Lang is called Panjang while Verlatan is dubbed as Sertung. There was also an islet that was once covered with trees identified as Poolsche Hoed or Polish Hat since apparently, it resembles that one from the coastline. There were also igneous cones that run from north to south: Danan was 445 meters, Perboewatan was 122 meters and Rakata was 823 meters.

On another note, David Keys together with his other colleagues believed that the gigantic eruption in Krakatoa, Indonesia on 535 AD was due to the change of global conditions. In the book he authored entitled “Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization,” he touched on what he believed to be a “radical effect.” Also, there were recent studies that revealed an explosion that generated the main lands of Lang and Verlatan. However, the findings have been refuted.

Amidst the many talks about the old chronicles of Krakatoa, Indonesia, the more reason there is for you to pay a visit and discover for yourself the contemporary modifications in the district.