DEVELOPMENTS

As of Monday, at least 150,754 people are reported dead from the tsunami disaster.
An estimated 3 million to 5 million people are living in refugee camps across the tsunami-stricken area.

THE EARTHQUAKE

A magnitude 9 quake struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia on Dec. 26.

It was the most powerful earthquake in the world in four decades.

The quake occurred more than 6 miles deep and was followed by a half-dozen powerful aftershocks.

A 620-mile section of a geological plate shifted, triggering a tsunami.

Walls of water sped away from the quake's epicenter at more than 500 mph before crashing into shorelines.

TSUNAMIS

A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by any rapid large-scale disturbance of the sea water.

Most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes.

They may also be caused by volcanic eruptions, landslides, undersea slumps or meteor impacts.

Interactive: Tsunami Map

TSUNAMI HISTORY

The earliest description of a tsunami-type wave comes from 479 B.C. in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

They are more common in the Pacific, with its earthquake-prone perimeter.

Aug. 27, 1883: more than 36,000 people were killed by a tsunami following the explosion of the volcano Krakatau near Java.

The eruption of Santorini in the Aegean Sea in 1500 B.C. caused a tsunami that devastated the eastern Mediterranean and Crete.

Thousands of residents in Spain, Portugal and North Africa were killed by waves spawned by an earthquake at Lisbon, Portugal, in 1755.

Japan has been the land most plagued by tsunamis, with at least 66,000 deaths recorded there since 684 AD.

Among the deadliest tsunamis was one that struck Honshu, Japan, in 1896, killing an estimated 27,000.

Indonesia has seen more than 50,000 deaths in more than 30 destructive tsunamis -- excluding the most recent disaster.

On April 1, 1946, a tsunami was generated by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Alaska's Aleutian Island chain.

As a result, two years later the United States established a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.

Other notable tsunamis have included:

Aug. 16, 1976: A tsunami generated by a quake in the Philippines killed between 5,000 and 8,000 people.
March 28, 1964: A magnitude 8.4 quake in Alaska generated a tsunami that ravaged Alaska, Canada, the western United States and Hawaii.
May 22, 1960: The largest earthquake, magnitude 8.6, of the 20th century occurred off the coast of Chile.
Nov. 4, 1952: A earthquake off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula generated a Pacific-wide tsunami.
Jan. 31, 1906: A strong tsunami struck the coast of Ecuador and Colombia.
Aug. 13, 1868: A massive wave struck Chile, carrying ships as far as three miles inland at Arica.
April 2, 1868: A locally generated tsunami swept over the tops of palm trees and claimed 81 lives in Hawaii.

INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM

Pacific Tsunami Warning started in 1948, two years after a tsunami killed more than 150 people in Hawaii.

Member states include the major Pacific rim nations in North America, Asia and South America.

Administered by the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

No such warning system exists in the Indian Ocean.

Scientists said deaths would have been reduced if one had existed.

West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center started in 1967 after 9.2 earthquake in 1964 generated a tsunami that killed 132.

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction will discuss this month in Japan an Indian Ocean warning system.

If a new system is created, India would like to share data with the 26-nation Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

TSUNAMI AID LIST

A partial list of the countries and organizations pledging aid for tsunami victims.

Amounts based on U.N. data and official announcements by the nations.

Australia: $810 million
Germany: $674 million
Japan: $500 million.
United States: $350 million
World Bank: $175 million
Britain: $95 million
Sweden: $75.5 million
Spain: $68 million
France: $65.9 million
China: $60 million
Canada: $33 million
European Commission: $45 million
Switzerland: $21.9 million
Denmark: $18,1 million
Norway: $16.6 million
Portugal: $11 million
Qatar: $10 million
Saudi Arabia: $10 million
Italy: $5.35 million
Singapore: $3.6 million
New Zealand: $3.5 million
Finland: $3.3 million
Kuwait: $2 million
United Arab Emirates: $2 million
Ireland: $1.4 million
Turkey: $1.25 million
Czech Republic: $750,000
Iran: $627,000
South Korea: $600,000
Hungary: $411,000
Greece: $397,000
Luxembourg: $265,000
North Korea: $150,000
Monaco: $133,000
Mexico: $100,000
Nepal: $100,000
Estonia: $42,000
Russia: Declined to release figure.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.