The magnificent Virunga Mountains are situated in the Northern Province of Rwanda, on the border of Rwanda with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. These mountains consist of eight volcanoes, 125 sq km of mountain forest and are home to the famous mountain gorillas.
In 1925 when the Volcanoes National Park was first gazetted, it was a small area bounded by three volcanoes; Karisimbi, Bisoke, and Mikeno Volcanoes.
Virunga Volcanoes
Most of the volcanoes forming the magnificent Virunga Mountain Range chain are dormant except for the Mount Nyirgongo at 3462km and Mount Nyamuragira at 3063m above sea level in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The most recent eruptions date was 2006 and January 2010.
The highest volcano is Mount Karisimbi at 4507m with the oldest volcano being the Mount Sabinyo that stands at 3634m.
Mount Bisoke, Mgahinga, Mikeno and Muhabura volcanoes are the other volcanoes within the Volcanoes National Park. There is a crater lake, Lake Ngezi on Mount Bisoke.