- Accessible only by water or air, San Juan County is an archipelago of hundreds of islands, reefs, and rocks between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island. Around 20 islands are inhabited. The largest three – Orcas, San Juan, and Lopez – contain most of the land area and nearly all the population. Only in 1872, later than any other area in the 48 contiguous states, did the San Juan Islands become an undisputed part of the United States following the “Pig War” boundary dispute with Great Britain. San Juan County was created the next year…
- North Andes Plate (Wikipedia)
The North Andes Plate or North Andes Block is a small tectonic plate (microplate) located in the northern Andes. It is squeezed between the faster moving South American Plate and the Nazca Plate to the southwest. Due to the subduction of the Coiba and Malpelo plates, this area is very prone to volcanic and seismic activity, with many historical earthquakes.