Central America
What tectonic plate is Nicaragua on?
Nicaragua sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 28
- Holocene volcanoes
- 13
- Land area
- 129,244 km²
Plates under Nicaragua
Share of Nicaragua's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
4 plate boundaries run through or along Nicaragua: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr), the Panama-Caribbean boundary (convergent, about 1.1 cm/yr) and the Cocos-Panama boundary (convergent, about 7.5 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
- Caribbean and Cocos: convergent, 7.6 cm/yr
- Panama and Caribbean: convergent, 1.1 cm/yr
- Cocos and Panama: convergent, 7.5 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Caribbean-Cocos boundary, where the plates move about 7.6 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Nicaragua
Nicaragua has frequent large earthquakes: 28 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 33 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 km SSW of Corinto, Nicaragua | M7.7 | 1992 | 45 km | Caribbean |
| 92 km SW of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua | M7.3 | 1907 | 35 km | Caribbean |
| 7 km SW of El Viejo, Nicaragua | M7.2 | 1921 | 65 km | Caribbean |
| 116 km SW of Corinto, Nicaragua | M7.2 | 1907 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| Near the coast of Nicaragua | M7.1 | 1901 | – | Caribbean |
| 12 km SSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua | M7.1 | 1956 | 35 km | Caribbean |
Volcanoes in Nicaragua
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 13 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Nicaragua.
- Masaya Caldera · 594 m Last eruption 2026
- Telica Stratovolcano(es) · 1,036 m Last eruption 2025
- San Cristobal Stratovolcano · 1,745 m Last eruption 2024
- Concepcion Stratovolcano · 1,700 m Last eruption 2024
- Momotombo Stratovolcano · 1,270 m Last eruption 2016
- Negro, Cerro Pyroclastic cone(s) · 728 m Last eruption 1999
- Las Pilas-El Hoyo Complex Complex · 1,088 m Last eruption 1954
- Cosiguina Stratovolcano · 872 m Last eruption 1859
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Nicaragua on?
Nicaragua sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
Is Nicaragua on a plate boundary?
4 plate boundaries run through or along Nicaragua: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr), the Panama-Caribbean boundary (convergent, about 1.1 cm/yr) and the Cocos-Panama boundary (convergent, about 7.5 cm/yr).
Does Nicaragua get earthquakes?
Nicaragua has frequent large earthquakes: 28 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 33 of 213). The largest was the M7.7 83 km SSW of Corinto, Nicaragua in 1992.
Are there volcanoes in Nicaragua?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 13 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Nicaragua.