Popocatépetl--called "Popo" for short--was dormant for decades. This inactivity ended on December 21, 1994, with minor ash eruptions. Some past eruptions of this volcano have been explosive. More than one million people live within 35 kilometers of this steep-sided volcano, and many towns and cities would be threatened by ash if a large eruption occurred. Popocatépetl means "smoking mountain" in the Aztec language.

Click on one of the map points to locate Popocatépetl.