If you look at a map of the Pacific Ocean, you will notice something interesting. The countries along its edges experience the most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on Earth. Scientists call this horseshoe-shaped zone the Ring of Fire. Chile sits right on this ring. On May 22, 1960, the strongest earthquake ever recorded struck southern Chile near a city called Valdivia. Chile is one of the longest and narrowest countries in the world. It stretches over 4,300 kilometers along the western coast of South America. The Andes Mountains run along its eastern border. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean. This geographic position makes Chile especially vulnerable to earthquakes. The floor of the Pacific Ocean slowly pushes under South America. When these giant pieces of earth slip, the ground shakes. The 1960 earthquake was so powerful that it sent tsunami waves racing across the entire Pacific. The waves devastated coastal towns in Chile. They also hit Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. The earthquake showed that events in one part of the world can affect places thousands of miles away. Today, Chile has some of the strictest building codes in South America because the country knows that earthquakes will keep coming.