“The land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is a green undulating landscape of hills, gardens and tea plantations. It offers tourists a one of a kind journey – home to one third of the world remaining Mountain Gorillas, one third of Africa’s birds species, several species of primates, volcanoes, game reserve, resorts and islands on the expansive lake Kivu, graceful dancers, artistic crafts and friendly people.
The Republic of Rwanda ; Kinyarwanda pronunciation Rɡwanda, known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa.
Although close to the equator, the country has a cool temperate climate due to its high elevation. The terrain consists mostly of grassy uplands and gently rolling hills. Abundant wildlife, including rare mountain gorillas, have resulted in tourism becoming one of the biggest sectors of the country’s economy.
Rwanda has received considerable international attention due to its 1994 genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed. Since then the country has made a recovery and is now considered as a model for developing countries. In 2009 a CNN report labeled Rwanda as Africa’s biggest success story, having achieved stability, economic growth (average income has tripled in the past ten years) and international integration. In 2007 Fortune magazine published an article titled “Why CEOs Love Rwanda.” The capital, Kigali, is the first city in Africa to be awarded the Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in the recognition of its “cleanliness, security and urban conservation model.” In 2008, Rwanda became the first country to elect a national legislature in which a majority of members were women. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth of Nations on 29 November 2009 as its fifty-fourth member, making the country one of only two in the Commonwealth without a British colonial past.
At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world’s 148th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Belgium and the U.S. State of Maryland, and a little larger than Wales. The country is located in Central and East Africa, a few degrees south of the Equator and is landlocked. The country neighbours the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Uganda to the north; Tanzania to the east; and Burundi to the south. The capital, Kigali, is located in the centre of the country.
Central and western Rwanda is dominated by mountains, with the Albertine branch of the Great Rift Valley running from north to south along the country’s western border. The highest peaks are found in the Virunga chain of volcanoes in the north-west, including Mount Karisimbi, Rwanda’s highest point at 4,507 metres (14,787 ft). This western section of the country, which lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion, has an average elevation ranging between 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) and 2,500 metres (8,202 ft). The eastern slopes are more moderate, with rolling hills extending across central uplands at gradually reducing altitudes, to the plains and swamps of the eastern border region. Rwanda is also noted for its lakes. Lake Kivu is the largest, occupying the floor of the Rift Valley along most of the length of Rwanda’s western border and is one of the twenty deepest lakes in the world with a maximum depth of 480 metres (1,575 ft). Other notable lakes include Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi, Rweru and Ihema, the last being the largest of a string of lakes in the eastern plains of Akagera National Park.
The watershed between the major drainage basins of the Congo and the Nile runs from north to south through Rwanda, with around 80% of the country’s area draining into the Nile and 20% into the Congo, via the Ruzizi River and Lake Tanganyika. The country’s longest river is the Nyabarongo, which rises in the south-west, flows north, east and south-east before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera, which flows due north along the eastern border with Tanzania. The Nyabarongo-Kagera eventually drains into Lake Victoria, and its source in Nyungwe Forest is a contender for the overall source of the Nile.
Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than is typical for equatorial countries due to the high altitude. In Rubona, in the centre of the country, daily temperatures typically range between 14 °C (57 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) and there is little variation through the year. There is, however, some variation across the country with the mountainous west being generally cooler than the lower lying east. There are two rainy seasons in the year, from February to June and from September to December. These are separated by two dry seasons: the major one from June to September, during which there is often no rain at all, and a shorter and less reliable one from December to February. Rainfall also varies geographically, with twice as much average annual precipitation in the west as in the east
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors and is now the country’s leading foreign exchange earner, generating US$214 million in 2008, up by 54% on the previous year. Despite the genocide, the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination, and one million people are estimated to have visited the country in 2008, up from 826,374 in 2007. The country’s most popular tourist activity is the tracking of mountain gorillas, which takes place in the Volcanoes National Park. Other attractions include Nyungwe Forest, home to chimpanzees, Ruwenzori colobus and other primates, the resorts of Lake Kivu, and Akagera, a small savanna reserve in the east of the country
Basic Facts
Land Area: 26,340 square Kilometers
Population: 11 million
Rainfall: Rainy seasons: March – May and October – November (Average of 110-200 mm. per month).
Average Temperature: 24.6 – 27.6ºc. Hottest months: August, September.
Altitude: Ranges from 1000-4500m above sea level.
Main water bodies: Lake Kivu, Lake Muhazi, Lake Ihema, Lake Bulera, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera.
Vegetation: ranges from dense equatorial forest in the north-west of the country to tropical savannah in the east.
Main National Parks/Animal Reserves: Akagera and Virunga Volcanoes National Parks.
Highest point: Karisimbi volcano (4,507m)
Borders: Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and Democratic Republic of Congo to the west.
Rwanda is a landlocked country situated in central Africa. Also known as ’the land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda has five volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the River Nile. The country lies 75 miles south of the equator in the Tropic of Capricorn, 880 miles ’as the crow flies’ west of the Indian Ocean and 1,250 miles east of the Atlantic Ocean – literally in the heart of Africa. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the democratic republic of Congo to the west.
Anyone visiting ’the land of a thousand hills’ is in for a multitude of surprises. The loveliness and variety of the landscapes in this ’green country’ is dominated to the north by volcanoes and bordered by Lake Kivu to the west. In Rwanda the great animals of the wild are protected from poachers and roam free in the vast national parks. The Volcanoes National park in the Virunga volcanic mountains with its high altitude forests, are world famous for mountain gorillas – timid and passive family oriented giants – which is teeming with wildlife both large and small, while Lake Kivu to the west offers beautiful beaches, jutting peninsulas and an archipelago of islands.
Fast Facts
History of Rwanda
Rwanda Today
Rwanda Etiquette
Kinyarwanda Dictionary
Rwanda Vision 2020
Kigali Conceptual Master Plan
Rwanda
The land of a thousand hills, with endless expansive lush mountains and diverse natural beauty lies with in the great lakes region of central Africa and boasts a moderate climate. Mountains dominate the centre and west of the country, while the east consists of savannah, ains and swamps.
Rwanda is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic republic of Congo to the west. Despite being landlocked and one of Africa’s smallest countries, 26,338 sq km, Rwanda has an incredible treasure trove of diversity that requires protection. The Albertine-rift eco- zone (ARE), a region that stretches across six countries with Rwanda as its epi-centre, is of particular importance as it has an exceptional level of species endemism. Scientists regard it as having the highest levels of diversity on the continent.
The nature lover will be impressed by the variety and the rarity of what can be observed visiting Rwanda, but there is more to Rwanda than protected mountain gorillas and Albertine endemics. The shores of Lake Kivu boast some of the best inland beaches in Africa and offer an opportunity to explore the many small islands of Lake Kivu.
Kigali, the capital and conference hub of east Africa, forms a central stepping stone to various destinations with in the country and cent5ral and east Africa. The city is green, vibrant, safe and brews superb home grown tea and coffee.
Although Rwanda is all too often associated with the 1994 genocide that resulted in the mass murder of as much as 20% of the country’s total population, the country is taking giant strides towards cultural recovery and investment in the future.
Rwanda Nziza means Beautiful Rwanda!
This website tries to show you its beauty and the possibilities for coming to Rwanda, for a holiday or for business.
The economy is growing fast as Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa and there are excellent investment opportunities.
Location:
Rwanda is in East/Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo with Uganda to its north and Burundi to the south. Rwanda also shares its eastern border with Tanzania.
Land Boundaries:
Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, and Uganda 169 km.
Geography:
Size 26,338 sq km slightly smaller than Maryland, US. Rwanda has a temperate climate with two rainy seasons from February to April and November to January. The temperature is mild in mountains with frost and snow possible at higher altitudes. Rwanda’s terrain consists of mostly grassy uplands and hills with a mountainous altitude declining from west to east. Its lowest point is the Rusizi River at 950 m and its highest point is Volcan Karisimbi which stands at 4,519 m. Rwanda is a land locked country and most of its population is rural.
Population:
Just under 10 million people live in Rwanda making it the most densely populated country in Africa. Life expectancy is around 49 years. Birth rate is on average 5.37 per woman. Literacy rate is just over 70%.
Languages:
Kinyarwanda (official) which is a universal Bantu vernacular; French (official); English (official), and Kiswahili (Swahili) which is used in commercial centers.Ethnic Groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, and Twa (Pygmy) 1%
Religion:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, and none 1.7% (2001)
Brief Political History:
In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees – many fearing Tutsi retribution – fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms – including Rwanda’s first local elections in March 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in August and September 2003 – the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi political dominance. Kigali’s increasing centralization and intolerance of dissent, the nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder Rwanda’s efforts to escape its bloody legacy.
Economic Overview:
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda’s fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded the country’s ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda’s fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005-06. Rwanda also received Millennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. Kigali’s high defense expenditures have caused tension between the government and international donors and lending agencies. Energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap growth.