Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in French Guiana
French Guiana has catalogued 3 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 162nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M5.0.
French Guiana ranks 162nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.
- 3
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 0
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M5.0
- Strongest
- ~0
- M4+ per year
The verdict
French Guiana is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 3 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 5.0.
- N/A
- no yearly breakdown available
- N/A
- average recorded event depth
- 0%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Cabo Verde sits immediately above at 4 events and Central African Republic sits immediately below at 2.
Where French Guiana sits in the catalog
Rank 162nd of 187 tracked countries (12th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Cabo Verde sits immediately above at 4 events and Central African Republic sits immediately below at 2.
- Cabo Verde - next more active (4 M4+)
- Central African Republic - next less active (2 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
4 tracked countries share French Guiana's exact count of 3 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, French Guiana ranks 1st of 4 by strongest recorded magnitude (M5.0).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| French Guiana (this page) | 3 | M5.0 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3 | M4.6 |
| Bahamas | 3 | M4.5 |
0 of 3 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A French Guiana-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second French Guiana-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in French Guiana? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in French Guiana? ▼
How seismically active is French Guiana? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in French Guiana? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About French Guiana's figures
3 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M5.0 · average M4.6 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Aug 13, 2017. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). See the methodology and USGS ComCat.
Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.
What French Guiana's numbers mean
French Guiana ranks 162nd of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike French Guiana per year on average. See the full country ranking
- 0% of French Guiana's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
- The strongest catalogued event reached M5.0. Compare against neighboring or similarly-ranked countries before drawing conclusions from magnitude alone. Compare strongest earthquakes
Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-19.