On August 27 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Straits literally exploded. The resulting tsunami waves were the highest ever witnessed, up to 40 meters tall. Over 36,000 people were killed (the largest death toll ever from a volcanic eruption) and 165 towns and villages were destroyed. The sound of the explosion was the loudest in human history, heard over 1/12 of the Earth's surface. The effects of the eruption were global, cooling the Earth's temperature and producing vivid red sunsets for up to 5 years afterward. Using eyewitness and survivor accounts, this program dramatizes the events leading up to the most famous and most devastating volcanic eruption in recorded human history. Also, volcanologists discuss the science behind the eruption, and compare and contrast the 1883 event with the 2004 tsunami.

Krakatau volcano erupted in 1883 in one of history’s loudest and most spectacular natural events. The huge waves that the explosion generated inundated low-lying coastal areas of Java and Sumatra, killing tens of thousands of people. Much of Krakatau disappeared beneath the sea after the eruption, leaving a smaller but very active volcanic island, Anak Krakatau (“Child of Krakatau”). Krakatau, also Krakatoa or Rakata is a small volcanic island, southwestern Indonesia, in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra. Until the night of August 26-27, 1883, Krakatau had an area of 47 sq km (18 sq mi); at that time, a volcanic eruption and its consequent explosions destroyed most of the island, so the present area is only 15 sq km (6 sq mi). The eruption produced huge ocean waves called tsunamis that reached an estimated height of 30 m (100 ft) and traveled 13,000 km (8,000 mi); these waves drowned about 34,000 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra and destroyed incalculable amounts of property. In addition, pyroclastic flows of hot volcanic ash traveled more than 40 km (25 mi) across the surface of the sea and fatally burned at least 2,000 people. An explosion in the eruption series produced one of the loudest noises in history; it was heard at a distance of 4,800 km (3,000 mi). The material ejected was in the form of fine dust, which was diffused by aerial currents throughout the upper atmosphere; for three years thereafter, observers all over the world reported brilliant colorations of sunrise and sunset, caused by the refraction of the rays of the sun by these tiny particles. The island displayed volcanic activity again in 1927, and the inhabitants were evacuated; the island is now uninhabited.

The Eruption of Krakatoa

In 1883 Krakatoa suddenly sprang into notoriety. Insignificant though it had hitherto seemed, the little island was soon to compel by its tones of thunder the whole world to pay it instant attention. It was to become the scene of a volcanic outbreak so appalling that it is destined to be remembered throughout the ages. In the spring of that year there were symptoms that the volcanic powers in Krakatoa were once more about to awake from the slumber that had endured for many generations. Notable warnings were given. Earthquakes were felt, and deep rumblings proceeded from the earth, showing that some disturbance was in preparation, and that the old volcano was again to burst forth after its long period of rest.

At first the eruption did not threaten to be of any serious type. In fact, the good people of Batavia, so far from being terrified at what was in progress in Krakatoa, thought the display was such an attraction that they chartered a steamer and went forth for a pleasant picnic to the island. Many of us, I am sure, would have been delighted to have been able to join the party who were to witness so interesting a spectacle. With cautious steps the more venturesome of the excursion party clambered up the sides of the volcano, guided by the sounds which were issuing from its summit. There they beheld a vast column of steam pouring forth with terrific noise from a profound opening about thirty yards in width.

On the night of Sunday, August 26, 1883, the blackness of the dust clouds, now much thicker than ever in the Straits of Sunda and adjacent parts of Sumatra and Java, was only occasionally illumined by lurid flashes from the volcano. The Krakatoan thunders were on the point of attaining their complete development. At the town of Batavia, a hundred miles distant, there was no quiet that night. The houses trembled with the subterranean violence, and the windows rattled as if heavy artillery were being discharged in the streets, and still these efforts seemed to be only rehearsing for the supreme display. By ten o'clock on the morning of Monday, August 27, 1883, the rehearsals were over and the performance began. An overture, consisting of two or three introductory explosions, was succeeded by a frightful convulsion which tore away a large part of the island of Krakatoa and scattered it to the winds of heaven. In that final effort all records of previous explosions on this earth were completely broken.

The Miracle of Bali is a BBC series of cultural documentaries narrated by David Attenborough and first shown in 1969. The series comprises three programs about the culture of Bali.

The first episode, The Midday Sun is a general introduction to Bali, its people and their varied arts, with the main focus on Peliatan village, its orchestra and dancers. The second episode, Night, covers the religious rituals and festivals of Bali, officially Hindu, but with origins in ancient ceremonials practised long before Hinduism came to the island. The third episode, Recital Of Music is about music and dancing from the Balinese village of Pliatan, the separate items linked by an appropriately illustrative detail from Balinese paintings.

Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Recent tragic events have scared away many of those who simply saw Bali as a place for cheap beer. While the Bintang is still tasty and plentiful, Bali's temples, ceremonies, beaches, mountains and passion for life are undiminished and more easily enjoyed than ever.

High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Indonesia, including Bali. Travellers are advised to check with their local embassy or travel advisory for up-to-date information before making travel plans. Terrorist bombings aimed at tourists took place in 2002 and 2005 and although it is normally safe, the island could be a target in the future.

Bali is an island of southern Indonesia, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in the Indian Ocean. It is situated between the island of Java to the west, from which it is separated by Bali Strait, and the island of Lombok to the east from which it is separated by Lombok Strait. Bali is 145 km (90 mi) long and 80 km (50 mi) wide. The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja and Denpasar, the capital, near the southern coast. Mountain ranges cross the island from east to west. The highest point on the island is Mount Agung (3,142 m/10,308 ft), a volcano that erupted in March 1963. In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, dry in the dry season and overflowing whenever there are periods of heavy rains.

Economically and culturally, Bali is one of the most important islands of Indonesia. Rice is grown on irrigated, terraced hillsides; other crops include sugarcane, coffee, copra, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. Cattle and hogs are also raised. The Balinese are skilled artisans, particularly in wood carving, and in fashioning objects of tortoiseshell and of gold, silver, and other metals. The women of Bali are noted for their traditional dancing (see Dance; Indonesian Dance) and for their skills in weaving cloth of gold and silver threads, as well as for embroidering silk and cotton clothing. The principal religion on the island of Bali is a variation of Hinduism that incorporates Polynesian religious rites.

Bali was first visited by the Dutch in 1597, but Dutch rule was not firmly established until 1908. In 1946, after the Japanese occupation of the island during World War II, Bali was included in the newly formed state of East Indonesia, becoming part of the United States of Indonesia in 1948. In 1950 Bali became part of the unified republic of Indonesia. Area, 5,623 sq km (2,171 sq mi); population (2003 estimate) 3,422,700.