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Rwanda

✨ The land of a thousand hills

Rwanda is a small landlocked country in East-Central Africa, situated in the Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital and largest city is Kigali, located near the centre of the country. Rwanda covers about 26,338 square kilometres and is known for its mountainous terrain, with hills, deep valleys and high plateaus giving it the nickname “land of a thousand hills”.

In the northwest, the Virunga volcanic range includes Mount Karisimbi, the country's highest point at about 4,507 metres. Lake Kivu forms part of the western border, while eastern Rwanda has lower plains, lakes and savanna. The high elevation gives much of the country a relatively mild climate, with two main rainy seasons. Rwanda is home to rich biodiversity, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys and many bird species.

Volcanoes National Park protects part of the Virunga mountains, while Akagera National Park in the east contains savanna landscapes, wetlands and a variety of large mammals. Agriculture remains important, with coffee, tea, bananas, beans and other crops grown in different regions. Tourism, services, manufacturing and mining also contribute to the economy. Kinyarwanda is spoken throughout the country and is an official language alongside English, French and Kiswahili.

Rwanda's modern history includes German and Belgian colonial rule before independence on 1 July 1962. The country was profoundly affected by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which caused enormous loss of life and displacement. Since then, Rwanda has focused strongly on reconstruction, national unity and economic development. Today, it is a republic with Kigali as its political and economic centre.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that Rwanda is one of the cleanest countries in the world? Plastic bags have been totally banned there for a long time. If you arrive at the airport with a plastic bag in your suitcase, you will be asked to leave it! Once a month, on Saturday morning, all inhabitants (even the president!) participate in Umuganda: everyone goes out to clean the streets, plant trees, or repair schools. This is the secret of their cleanliness!

Rwanda is famous for Mountain Gorillas. These are very large monkeys with thick black fur that live in the cloud forests of volcanoes. There are only a few hundred left in the world! Every year, the country organizes a grand ceremony called 'Kwita Izina' where a name is given to each baby gorilla born in the year, as one would do for a child of a royal family.

Rwanda has a very special lake, Lake Kivu. Unlike other lakes, it is very deep and its waters hide a natural gas. But what is fun is that you find 'swimming cows' there! In some islands of the lake, cows have learned to swim over long distances to go from one pasture to another, simply following their shepherd's boat.