Note 2: the western coast of the United States and southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire McKinley) is the highest point (6,190 m) in North America and Death Valley the lowest point (-86 m) on the continent Note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India) Denali (Mt. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof in Hawaii: Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia St. Tsunamis volcanoes earthquake activity around Pacific Basin hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast mud slides in California forest fires in the west flooding permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development