Explain how the geography of California has led to the state's 'disaster hotspot' status.

A disaster hotspot is an area subjected to a risk from at least two alternative hazards. California is at risk from a variety of geographical hazards, with earthquakes being a prominent one. A conservative plate boundary, the San Andreas fault, is notorious for causing earthquake events in California. The pressure is released in the form of energy at the fault line; after the significant friction which is built between the Pacific and North American plates, as they slide past each other. A disaster can be defined as the hazard interacting with humans in a harmful way. Such earthquakes create disasters in California because of the population density surrounding the San Andreas fault line (70% of the state's population within 50km of the fault line). An example of an earthquake in California is the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which led to destruction of large parts of the city. Furthermore, the frequency of earthquakes in the Pacific ocean renders California to be vulnerable to tsunamis, as large bodies of water are displaced. An example of a tsunami hitting the Californian coast is presented by the 1964 tsunami, which hit northern California as a result of an earthquake within proximity to the coast of Alaska. As a result of the disaster, 12 people were killed. Finally, the surfaces in which many Californian buildings are situated presents a hazard when the area is exposed to landslides (typically induced by earthquakes, coastal erosion and weather extremes). This was reported to be a major secondary hazard of the 1989 Loma Priet earthquake- the foundations of the buildings are not as strong. which increases vulnerability to disasters.