Background information of Chile:
They have a population of around 19 million people. And the capital city is Santiago.
The most spoken language is Spanish. The strongest earthquake occurred there in
1960 (Magnitude 9.5), and Chile is in the Pacific Ring of Fire, meaning it is always at
risk of tectonic hazards.
What happened:
On the 27th of February, and earthquake struck offshore near Maule, around 115km
north-east of Concepcion.
Happened at a destructive plate margin where the Nazca plate subducted under the
South American plate.
The movement caused a 2.6-metre-high tsunami. Coastal towns such as Dichato
were hit hardest.
Economic impacts:
It was estimated total damage of $30 billion
Major ports such as Talcahuano were destroyed after the tsunami, disrupting trade.
Coastal resorts were destroyed, reducing tourism (leading to decline in the short
term).