The Aeolian Islands is an archipelago north of Sicilly. There are seven islands. The islands are of volcanic origin. About 13,000 people live on the islands, which belong to Italy.
The biggest of the islands is Lipari. For this reason, the islands are also known as Lipari islands. There are two active volcanoes on these islands, called Stromboli and Vulcano. Stromboli is the only volcano that is active all the time. The volcano on Vulcan is called Grande Fossa. It is dormant or slightly active. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Europe.
The islands have been inhabited since the Stone Age. They were important for the obsidian that can be found there.