Regions Included in the Pacific Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped zone encircling the Pacific Ocean, notorious for intense seismic and volcanic activity. It spans about 40,000 km (25,000 miles) and hosts 75% of the world's volcanoes and 90% of its earthquakes. The region includes:

• North America: West coast (California, Oregon, Washington), Alaska
• Russia: Kamchatka Peninsula
• East Asia: Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore
• Oceania: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand
• South America: Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia
• Central America: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico

This vast arc marks convergent plate boundaries where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath surrounding plates, fueling volcanoes and quakes.