Nyiragongo [key], active volcano (c.11,400 ft/3,475 m), S Virunga range, in E Congo near the Rwanda border, NE of Lake Kivu and 12 mi (19 km) N of Goma, in S Virunga National Park. It is Africa's second most active volcano in historic times; the most active is Nyamuragira, NW of Nyiragongo. Lava from Nyiragongo's eruptions has at times reached Goma and Lake Kivu. There are several old craters, easily accessible and noted for their picturesque scenery and flora. Local legends associate the volcano with the place of expiation of guilty souls.
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