What is the Pacific Ring of Fire and Which Countries Does It Affect

August 9, 2025 | 09:05 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia is one of the countries located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. But what exactly is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

What Is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

According to the World Atlas, the Pacific Ring of Fire is a defining characteristic of the Pacific Ocean, which is the world’s largest.

The Pacific Ocean, which covers an area of over 60 million square miles or more than 155 million square kilometers, accounts for 28% of the Earth's surface and 46% of its total water surface.

In 1520, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan famously named the area Mar Pacifico, or "Peaceful Sea," because of the tranquility he experienced. However, this name overlooks the intense geological activity happening beneath the surface.

What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

The Pacific Ring of Fire is a vast oceanic area where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common. Located on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, its influence is significant. For example, an earthquake off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia, on July 30, 2025, resulted in a tsunami, a clear example of the ring’s power.

The Ring of Fire is shaped like a horseshoe, approximately 40,250 kilometers long and 500 kilometers wide. This immense area is home to 450 volcanoes, which is why a majority of the world's volcanic and earthquake activity occurs here.

This geological activity happens as the Pacific tectonic plate shifts against neighboring plates. The movement of these plates also creates deep oceanic trenches, such as the Mariana Trench.

Countries on the Pacific Ring of Fire

The exact boundaries of the Pacific Ring of Fire are still a subject of debate among geological and oceanographic experts. However, the region generally includes the Pacific coasts of North and South America, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and several islands in the western Pacific.

According to an article in Deutsche Welle, the countries affected by the Pacific Ring of Fire include:

• Australia

• The Philippines

• Japan

• Malaysia

• Fiji

• The Solomon Islands

• New Zealand

• The western coasts of North and South America

• Papua New Guinea

• Indonesia

The World Atlas notes that the extent of the Pacific Ring of Fire within Indonesia is a point of contention because the archipelago lies partly in the ring and the Alpide belt, a region with frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Therefore, some geological experts consider nearly the entirety of Indonesia to be part of this geologically active zone.

Editor’s Choice: Which Country Has the Most Earthquakes, and Is Russia One of Them?

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