Approximately 300,000 people live within 40 km (25 mi) of the volcano earning it designation as a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior.
Legend has it that gods sit atop the volcano on thrones of fire and ice.
The 300-meter-deep summit crater is clearly visible against surrounding ice and snow cover at center.
Several lava flows extend down the flanks of the volcano, made readily visible by prominent cooling ridges along their sides known as flow levees. Cozumel lies off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula not far across a channel from the city of Cancun.
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three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; Mexico's coat of arms (an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus) is centered in the white band; green signifies hope, joy, and love; white represents peace and honesty; red stands for hardiness, bravery, strength, and valor; the coat of arms is derived from a legend that the wandering Aztec people were to settle at a location where they would see an eagle on a cactus eating a snake; the city they founded, Tenochtitlan, is now Mexico City Satellite radar topography image of a portion of Central America.
Part of the trans-Mexican volcanic belt, Colima is actually a melding of two volcanoes, the older Nevado de Colima to the north and the younger, historically active Volcan de Colima to the south.In the area shown, ancient sedimentary rocks were folded as a result of a tectonic collision that some geologists consider related to the Appalachian folding of eastern North America.This mountain range is drier than the rainforest areas to the south. The snow and ice-clad peak of Pico de Orizaba (also known as Citlaltepetl) boasts a summit elevation of 5,675 m (18,619 ft) above sea level, making it the highest peak in Mexico and North America's highest volcano.The last recorded eruption took place in 1846; while the volcano is considered dormant at present, geologists continue to investigate the potential hazards associated with a renewal of activity.Shadows accentuate several features of the Pico de Orizaba stratovolcano visible in this photograph from the International Space Station.All of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras are visible on this image, as well as a considerable portion of southern Mexico (the Yucatan Peninsula). Named after the ancient Maya Province of Kimpech, the state of Campeche comprises much of the western half of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.Rivers in southern Campeche drain into the immense Terminos Lagoon, the entrance to which is protected by a long barrier island, Isla Del Carmen (upper right).We read every letter, fax, or e-mail we receive, and we will convey your comments to CIA officials outside OPA as appropriate.However, with limited staff and resources, we simply cannot respond to all who write to us.For other active volcanoes in Mexico, see the Natural hazards-volcanism subfield in the Geography section. The pockmarked terrain of Pinacate National Park in Sonora province, shown in this enhanced satellite image, provides evidence of a violent geologic past.Among hundreds of volcanic vents and cinder cones are rare maar craters, formed when rising magma met underground water to create pockets of steam that blew nearly circular holes in the overlying crust.