Eastern Africa
What tectonic plate is Rwanda on?
Rwanda sits entirely on the Somali Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 0
- Holocene volcanoes
- 1
- Land area
- 25,386 km²
Plates under Rwanda
Share of Rwanda's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Rwanda: the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Rwanda
The USGS catalog has no earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or more centered in or just off Rwanda since 1900. Smaller quakes still happen, and distant large ones can be felt.
Volcanoes in Rwanda
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 1 volcano active in the last 12,000 years in Rwanda.
- Karisimbi Stratovolcano · 4,490 m Last eruption 8050 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Rwanda on?
Rwanda sits entirely on the Somali Plate.
Is Rwanda on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Rwanda: the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Does Rwanda get earthquakes?
The USGS catalog has no earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or more centered in or just off Rwanda since 1900. Smaller quakes still happen, and distant large ones can be felt.
Are there volcanoes in Rwanda?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 1 volcano active in the last 12,000 years in Rwanda.