Tambora

Tambora (täm'buru) [key], active volcano, N Sumbawa, Nusa Tenggara Barat prov., Indonesia, rising to 9,255 ft (2,821 m). The volcano's 1815 eruption was Indonesia's biggest and one of the world's most destructive in historical times, killing an estimated 50,000–90,000 people, destroying the kingdoms of Tambora and Papegat, and causing crop failures on neighboring Bali and Lambok. Lingering clouds of ash led to global cooling and created “the year without a summer” in many areas throughout the world, including the United States.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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