Mount Tambora is an active strato-volcano which is a peninsula of the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. An active strato volcano is a volcano composed of explosively erupted cinders and ash with occasional lava flows Sumbawa is flanked both to the north and south by oceanic crust, and Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone beneath it. Tambora's 1815 eruption was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history. The explosion was heard on Sumatra island more than 1,200 miles away. Heavy and thick volcanic ash falls were observed as far away as Borneo, Java and Maluku islands. Most deaths from the eruption were from starvation and disease, the volcanic ash also ruined a lot of farms and agricultural products in the local area. There were at least 71,000 people who perished as a result of this natural disaster.