The Ijen Plateau lies in the centre of the Ijen-Merapi-Maelang Reserve, which extends over much of the mountainous region to the west of Banyuwangi, bordering or, the Baluran National Park. It is one of the most impressive of East Java's natural wonders.
The acid lake inside the volcano Kawah-Idjen is called " green crater ". It's the biggest (700 m about), the deepest (200 m, 36 millions/ m3), it has lasted over 2 centuries and it's the most acid too (pH minimum 0,18). Its température is between 20 and 40 °C depending on the activity of the volcano and the rain. A limestone rock boils and melts in this mixture of sulfuric and hydrochoric acid. Some globuls of sulphur (1 mm in diameter) float on the surface.There is a major sulphur deposit on the South side of the lake. The highest temperature measured has been 224 °C. It emits a lot of sulphur dioxyde.

A mine was opened there in 1968. A clever system of pipes (10 m long, 50 cm in diameter) allows the sulphur to be carried as an orange liquid (115 °C) and it cristallizes yellow. Then it is broken in big blocks and carried by men out of the crater. 200 miners, " sulphur slaves ", each carry 70 to 90 kg of sulphur in their baskets balanced on their shoulders. They walk 17 km on steep slopes down the mountainside to Banyuwangi. It's a feat of skill and thus 5 to 6 tons of sulphur are extracted each day. After arrival at the factory, the sulphur is treated for use in the production of medicines as well as for processing sugar. They are paid 150 rupees a kg, about a penny.

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