There are fifteen capital cities in the world in a position to be wiped out or seriously damaged by volcanic eruptions. So why then 1 people continue to live in such dangerous areas? Many of these people are poor and have 2 choice, while others disregard the risk, which is, after all, rather 3 than the risks involved in smoking or driving a car. What attracts people to volcanic areas is a fertile land. The soils from volcanic ashes are light, easily worked, drain well and are full 4 plant nutrients. A light fall of ash, though it may destroy one year’s crop, often pays the farmer 5 in future years by the fertility it adds to the soil. Coffee in Colombia, vines in Italy and rice in Japan are 6 a few of the crops that flourish on volcanic soils. In Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and Iceland the subterranean heat from volcanoes is used in geothermal power stations to generate electricity. In many places, the way in which the flows of lava concentrate minerals 7 them attractive to mining companies. There is growing evidence that gold is among the minerals collected by volcanic flows, and the diamond-mining industry in South Africa takes advantage of the huge pressures within past volcanoes 8 have produced diamonds.