South America
What tectonic plate is Paraguay on?
Paraguay sits entirely on the South American Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 400,905 km²
Plates under Paraguay
Share of Paraguay's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Paraguay: the Altiplano-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr).
- Altiplano and South American: convergent, 1.3 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Paraguay
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Paraguay. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 km E of General Enrique Mosconi, Argentina | M6.5 | 1989 | 569 km | South American |
Volcanoes in Paraguay
Paraguay has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Paraguay on?
Paraguay sits entirely on the South American Plate.
Is Paraguay on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Paraguay: the Altiplano-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr).
Does Paraguay get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Paraguay. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.5 86 km E of General Enrique Mosconi, Argentina in 1989.
Are there volcanoes in Paraguay?
Paraguay has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.