South America
What tectonic plate is Venezuela on?
Venezuela spans 2 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (87%) and the North Andes Plate (12%), plus slivers of the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 8
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 914,317 km²
Plates under Venezuela
Share of Venezuela's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Venezuela: the Caribbean-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr), the Caribbean-North Andes boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr) and the North Andes-South American boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and South American: convergent, 1.9 cm/yr
- Caribbean and North Andes: convergent, 1.2 cm/yr
- North Andes and South American: convergent, 0.9 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Venezuela
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Venezuela. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 8 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near the coast of Venezuela | M7.7 | 1900 | – | Caribbean |
| 20 km W of Catia La Mar, Venezuela | M7.5 | 2026 | 10 km | South American |
| 40 km ENE of Carúpano, Venezuelatsunami | M7.3 | 2018 | 147 km | Caribbean |
| 20 km E of San Felipe, Venezuela | M7.2 | 2026 | 10 km | South American |
| 26 km WSW of Carúpano, Venezuela | M7.0 | 1997 | 20 km | Caribbean |
| 22 km NNE of Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela | M6.7 | 1929 | 10 km | South American |
Volcanoes in Venezuela
Venezuela 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 Venezuela on?
Venezuela spans 2 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (87%) and the North Andes Plate (12%), plus slivers of the Caribbean Plate.
Is Venezuela on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Venezuela: the Caribbean-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr), the Caribbean-North Andes boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr) and the North Andes-South American boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
Does Venezuela get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Venezuela. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 8 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.7 Near the coast of Venezuela in 1900.
Are there volcanoes in Venezuela?
Venezuela has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.