page_title: Ometepe
section_title: Volcanoes
hierarchical_section_title: Ometepe / Volcanoes
caption_attribution_description: English: Ometepe Island, Nicaragua View of Concepcion Volcano from Maderas Volcano
context_page_description: Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising out of Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome and tepetl, meaning "two mountains". It is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua.
  The two volcanoes are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass, dumbbell or peanut. Ometepe has an area of 276 square kilometres. It is 31 kilometres long and 5 to 10 kilometres wide. The island has an economy based on livestock, agriculture, and tourism. Plantains are the major crop.
context_section_description: Volcán Concepción is on the northwest half of the island. It has a base of 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) beneath its symmetrical cone, and it is an active volcano. (Baker, 2006). Because of its symmetry, it has been considered extremely beautiful. The pirate Edward Hume was said to have declared the sight of Ometepe more valuable than the treasure from the just-sacked city of Granada.
  The volcano is believed to have risen in the early Holocene epoch and, through continual eruptions, now reaches an altitude of 1,610 metres (5,280 ft) making Ometepe the world's highest lake island. 
  Although it went through a long quiet period, on December 8, 1880, Concepción came back to life. This eruption was extensive, and the volcano remained active for a year. More eruptions followed in 1883, 1889, 1902, 1907, and 1924. In 2005, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale occurred as a result of increasing pressure within the volcano. Cracks appeared on roads throughout the island and an advisory to leave the island was issued. This was the first minor eruption since 1999. The most recent eruption was in 2010 and although it was extremely violent, few of the inhabitants heeded the order from the government in Managua to evacuate the island and little damage was done.
  The southeast half of the island consists of Volcán Maderas, which has a crater lake and supports a diverse rainforest environment. Maderas is also believed to have risen in the Holocene epoch and rises 1,394 metres (4,573 ft) above sea level. It is considered extinct or possibly dormant. The large lagoon in its crater was discovered on April 15, 1930, by the farmer Casimiro Murillo. The sides of the volcano are mainly covered with coffee and tobacco plantations while the remainder is rain forest. Much of this part of the island is now a nature reserve.
  The volcanic ash has made the soil of this island extremely fertile, allowing continuous planting. The volcanoes are visible from everywhere on the island, and life on Ometepe revolves closely around them. They also play an important part in the myths and legends of the island, which once served as an indigenous burial ground.
caption: View of Volcán Concepción from Volcán Maderas looking across the isthmus.
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