Hemmed in by rugged mountains, Afghanistan is prone to a range of natural disasters, but its earthquakes cause the most fatalities, killing about 560 people on average each year and causing annual damages estimated at $80 million. Studies indicate at least 355 earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 5.0 have hit Afghanistan since 1990.

Eastern and northeastern Afghanistan, especially regions along its borders with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, are particularly prone to earthquakes.

Guadeloupe has a history of seismic activity, with 19 reported within the last year, according to earthquaketrack.com. The largest earthquake to ever hit the region occurred on February 8, 1843, and was reported to be an 8.5-magnitude, which resulted in an estimated 1,500 to 5,000 people being killed.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake was recorded in the Beaus region on Monday morning, according to seismic data reviewed manually by authorities. The quake struck at 7:38 a.m. local time (12:38 UTC) at a shallow depth of less than 30 kilometers, centered at latitude 16.54°N and longitude 59.49°W.

Researchers have discovered evidence of “partial synchronization” of two of the world’s most famous fault lines—the northern San Andreas Fault and Cascadia Subduction Zone. The relationship between the sites means an earthquake in one zone can ...