Killed in Earthquakes
Produced by the SASI group (Sheffield) and Mark Newman (Michigan)
An earthquake is the movement of
the ground, resulting from pressure
between tectonic plates. Some places
experience many earthquakes because
they are located near to an active
plate boundary. Colombia, China, Iran,
Indonesia, India, Japan, the Philippines
and Peru experience quite frequent
earthquakes that result in deaths.
Between 1975 and 2000 there were
estimated to be 471 thousand
earthquake-related deaths. Of these,
52% occurred in China, 16% were in
the Islamic Republic of Iran. The death
toll of almost 18 thousand in the
Turkish earthquake of 1999, was partly
attributed to poor quality housing
that could not withstand the tremors.
Territory size shows the proportion of all people killed
in earthquake disasters between 1975 and 2000, that
died there. A disaster, here, is an event which overwhelms
local resources.
people killed in earthquake disasters per million people per year 1975-2000*
4
3
2
1
Japan
5
Western Europe
6
North America
7
South America
8
Eastern Asia
Middle East
9
Eastern Europe
EARTHQUAKE DISASTERS
10
Asia Pacific
Value
3.8
3.5
3.4
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.3
2.1
1.9
1.9
Northern Africa
Territory
Italy
Algeria
Mexico
Yemen
Romania
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Georgia
Tajikistan
Colombia
Southern Asia
Rank
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Southeastern Africa
Technical notes
• Data and definitions are from the United Nations
Environment Programme (2005).
• See website for further information.
Value
310
74
39
14
13
7
7
7
4
4
Central Africa
Land area
Territory
Armenia
Guatemala
Islamic Republic of Iran
Afghanistan
Turkey
China
Hong Kong (China)
El Salvador
Philippines
Taiwan
people killed in earthquakes per million
persons per year 1975-2000
MOST PEOPLE KILLED IN EARTHQUAKE DISASTERS
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0
“Tens of thousands of victims were pinned under the wreckage when the many poorly constructed three- and fourstory commercial and residential buildings in the region collapsed in the quake ...”
Demitri Psaropoulos, 1999
www.worldmapper.org
© Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan)
Map 247