The height of Mount Etna varies because it erupts and changes so much. The mountain is currently almost 11,000 feet tall. The height is most often given as 3,350 m, but this is an approximation at best.
Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Etna erupts from craters at the top and from numerous vents on the side.
As of 2009, Mount Etna has four craters. Their names are the Voragine, the Bocca Nuova, the Northeast Crater, and the Southeast Crater. The Voragine and Bocca Nuova lie in the area of the former Central Crater.
Because of the eruptions, the area around Mount Etna has exceptionally fertile soil. It supports vineyards, orchards, and fields. Thousands of people coexist with the volcano.
Mount Etna has been active for thousands of years. The poet Virgil described an eruption of "Aetna" in his epic poem, The Aeneid.
