Why are there few earthquakes in africa?

Question

comparatively, there are fewer earthquakes in africa than in north america.

Answer 1

The Rift Valley [in Africa] is actually a very bussy place, tectonicly.

  We dont hare much about it because is so thinnly populated, and , because it's activity is due to the 'spreading' of two plates, rather than the collision of two plates.

  Ther are quakes every where...  there is nothing static about the surface of our planet.

Answer 2

Africa sits on the African plate.  It is bordered to the north west by the Arabian plate.  Also to the north it is bordered by the Eurasian Plate.

North American has several plate boundaries.  However, it is not that North America has more plate boundaries than Africa that causes the difference.  It is the fact that the plate boundaries affecting Africa are much shorter in length than the ones affecting North America.

Take a look at this map:

http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/afr...

EDIT:

I couldn't let this question go without mentioning the African Rift Valley.  The African Plate is in the process of splitting  into two new separate plates. Geologists generally refer to these incipient plates as the Nubian and Somalian subplates or protoplates.

Answer 3

no plate boundaries...

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/...

Answer 4

Because its already filled with AIDS ?

Answer 5

Because the continent of Africa isnt close to any plate boundaries.

Also on the west cost of North America, there is the San Andreas Fault which is the cause of several earthquakes.

Look here:

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopag...

You can see the entire western side on North america is on the plate boundary, which when the plates slide past eachother, they sometime jolt, releasing huge amounts of energy which results in powerful earthquakes.

Answer 6

because it isnt near any plate boundaries, like in California, the edge of it is on a plate boundaries so earthquakes are common dur 6th graders learn this stuff!