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112-477: Lemera has a population of approximately 114,464 people and is primarily an agricultural town , with many residents growing crops such as cassava , beans , and maize . The town also has a small fishing industry , with fishermen catching tilapia and other fish from the waters of Lake Tanganyika . Prior to the establishment of the Bafuliiru Chiefdom as a political entity in 1928, Lemera functioned as

224-503: A League of Nations mandate called Ruanda-Urundi and started a period of more direct colonial rule. The Belgians simplified and centralised the power structure, introduced large-scale projects in education, health, public works, and agricultural supervision, including new crops and improved agricultural techniques to try to reduce the incidence of famine. Both the Germans and the Belgians, in

336-756: A civil war in 1990. Habyarimana was assassinated in April 1994. Social tensions erupted in the Rwandan genocide that spanned one hundred days. The RPF ended the genocide with a military victory in July 1994. Rwanda has been governed by the RPF as a de facto one-party state since 1994 with former commander Paul Kagame as President since 2000. The country has been governed by a series of centralized authoritarian governments since precolonial times. Although Rwanda has low levels of corruption compared with neighbouring countries, it ranks among

448-508: A proportional representation system. Rwanda's legal system is largely based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law . The judiciary is independent of the executive branch, although the president and the Senate are involved in the appointment of Supreme Court judges. Human Rights Watch has praised the Rwandan government for progress made in the delivery of justice including

560-466: A 1999 clash between the two countries' armies as they backed opposing rebel groups in the Second Congo War, but improved significantly in the early 2010s. In 2019, relations between the two countries deteriorated, with Rwanda closing its borders with Uganda. Before western colonization, the Rwandan government system had a quasi-system of political pluralism and power sharing. Despite there being

672-579: A 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.85/10, ranking it 139th globally out of 172 countries. Rwanda's economy suffered heavily during the 1994 genocide, with widespread loss of life, failure to maintain infrastructure, looting, and neglect of important cash crops. This caused a large drop in GDP and destroyed the country's ability to attract private and external investment. The economy has since strengthened, with per-capita nominal GDP estimated at $ 909.9 in 2022, compared with $ 127 in 1994. As of

784-483: A coalition with the domestic opposition and eventually to sign the 1993 Arusha Accords with the RPF. The cease-fire ended on 6 April 1994 when Habyarimana's plane was shot down near Kigali Airport, killing him. The shooting down of the plane served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide , which began within a few hours. Over the course of approximately 100 days, between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were killed in well-planned attacks on

896-503: A fast warming country, with an increase in average temperature of between 0.7 °C to 0.9 °C over fifty years. In prehistoric times, montane forest occupied one-third of the territory of present-day Rwanda. Naturally occurring vegetation is now mostly restricted to the three national parks , with terraced agriculture dominating the rest of the country. Nyungwe , the largest remaining tract of forest, contains 200 species of tree as well as orchids and begonias . Vegetation in

1008-420: A few large towns; dwellings are evenly spread throughout the country. The only sparsely populated area of the country is the savanna land in the former province of Umutara and Akagera National Park in the east. Kigali is the largest city, with a population of around one million. Its rapidly increasing population challenges its infrastructural development. According to the 2012 census, the second largest city

1120-419: A military coup . Pro-Hutu discrimination continued, but there was greater economic prosperity and a reduced amount of violence against Tutsi. The Twa remained marginalised, and by 1990 were almost entirely forced out of the forests by the government; many became beggars. Rwanda's population had increased from 1.6 million people in 1934 to 7.1 million in 1989, leading to competition for land. In 1990,

1232-398: A multi-party system of government, with politics based on democracy and elections. However, the constitution places conditions on how political parties may operate. Article 54 states that "political organizations are prohibited from basing themselves on race, ethnic group, tribe, clan, region, sex, religion or any other division which may give rise to discrimination". The president of Rwanda

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1344-477: A population of 10,515,973. The population is young: in the 2012 census, 43.3% of the population were aged 15 and under, and 53.4% were between 16 and 64. According to the CIA World Factbook , the annual birth rate is estimated at 40.2 births per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015, and the death rate at 14.9. The life expectancy is 67.67 years (69.27 years for females and 67.11 years for males), which

1456-630: A role in regions where marauders and pirates were a threat to isolated farms. In some regions agro-towns were close to broader habitats and that consequently environmental causes could not alone explain the emergence of agro-towns; instead there was a historical evolution which led to the concentration of the population into a few urban centers. In this view, small farmers were gradually driven off their land by larger landowners and had to seek refuge in towns, where they became wage labourers for those same large landowners. This process would explain why agro-towns are mostly in regions dominated by latifundia and

1568-439: A strict hierarchy, the pre-colonial system achieved an established, combined system of "centralized power and decentralized autonomous units." Under the monarch, the elected Chief governed a province that was divided into multiple districts. Two other officials appointed by head Chief governed the districts; one official was allocated power over the land while the other oversaw cattle. The king ( mwami ) exercised control through

1680-565: A system of commercial courts created in 2011 to expedite commercial litigations. Between 2004 and 2012, a system of Gacaca courts was in operation. Gacaca , a Rwandan traditional court operated by villages and communities, was revived to expedite the trials of genocide suspects. The court succeeded in clearing the backlog of genocide cases, but was criticised by human rights groups as not meeting legal fair standard. Rwanda has low corruption levels relative to most other African countries; in 2014, Transparency International ranked Rwanda as

1792-585: A system of provinces, districts, hills, and neighbourhoods. As of 2003, the constitution divided Rwanda into provinces ( intara ), districts ( uturere ), cities, municipalities, towns, sectors ( imirenge ), cells ( utugari ), and villages ( imidugudu ); the larger divisions, and their borders, are established by Parliament. In January 2006, Rwanda was reorganized such that twelve provinces were merged to create five, and 106 districts were merged into thirty. The present borders drawn in 2006 aimed at decentralising power and removing associations with

1904-596: A third of the country's farmland, potatoes , beans , sweet potatoes , cassava , wheat and maize . Coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export, with the high altitudes, steep slopes and volcanic soils providing favourable conditions. Reports have established that more than 400,000 Rwandans make their living from coffee plantation. Reliance on agricultural exports makes Rwanda vulnerable to shifts in their prices. Animals raised in Rwanda include cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, and rabbits, with geographical variation in

2016-481: Is Gisenyi , which lies adjacent to Lake Kivu and the Congolese city of Goma , and has a population of 126,000. Other major towns include Ruhengeri , Butare , and Muhanga , all with populations below 100,000. The urban population rose from 6% of the population in 1990, to 16.6% in 2006; by 2011, however, the proportion had dropped slightly, to 14.8%. Rwanda has been a unified state since pre-colonial times, and

2128-452: Is a provincial-level authority, which coordinates urban planning within the city. At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country, and the fourth smallest on the African mainland after Gambia , Eswatini , and Djibouti . It is comparable in size to Burundi , Haiti and Albania . The entire country is at a high altitude: the lowest point

2240-525: Is empowered by the constitution to oversee the activities of the president and the Cabinet. The lower chamber is the Chamber of Deputies , which has 80 members serving five-year terms. Twenty-four of these seats are reserved for women, elected through a joint assembly of local government officials; another three seats are reserved for youth and disabled members; the remaining 53 are elected by universal suffrage under

2352-571: Is home to an estimated one-third of the worldwide mountain gorilla population. Nyungwe Forest boasts thirteen primate species including common chimpanzees and Ruwenzori colobus arboreal monkeys; the Ruwenzori colobus move in groups of up to 400 individuals, the largest troop size of any primate in Africa. Rwanda's population of lions was destroyed in the aftermath of the genocide of 1994, as national parks were turned into camps for displaced people and

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2464-428: Is low but rising rapidly; in 2015 there were 12.8 internet users per 100 people, up from 2.1 in 2007. In 2011, a 2,300-kilometre (1,400 mi) fibre-optic telecommunications network was completed, intended to provide broadband services and facilitate electronic commerce. This network is connected to SEACOM , a submarine fibre-optic cable connecting communication carriers in southern and eastern Africa. Within Rwanda

2576-611: Is no discernible physical difference and the categories were not historically rigid. In precolonial Rwanda the Tutsi were the ruling class, from whom the kings and the majority of chiefs were derived, while the Hutu were agriculturalists. The current government discourages the Hutu/Tutsi/Twa distinction, and has removed such classification from identity cards. The 2002 census was the first since 1933 which did not categorise Rwandan population into

2688-433: Is nominally democratic, elections are manipulated in various ways, which include banning opposition parties, arresting or assassinating critics, and electoral fraud . The RPF is a Tutsi-dominated party but receives support from other communities as well. The constitution was adopted following a national referendum in 2003, replacing the transitional constitution which had been in place since 1994. The constitution mandates

2800-494: Is now Rwanda dates from, at the latest, the last glacial period , either in the Neolithic period around 8000 BC, or in the long humid period which followed, up to around 3000 BC. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of sparse settlement by hunter-gatherers in the late Stone Age , followed by a larger population of early Iron Age settlers, who produced dimpled pottery and iron tools. These early inhabitants were

2912-400: Is one of the cleanest cities in Africa. Government policy measures to improve sanitation are limited, focusing only on urban areas. The majority of the population, both urban and rural, use public shared pit latrines . Rwanda's electricity supply was, until the early 2000s, generated almost entirely from hydroelectric sources; power stations on Lakes Burera and Ruhondo provided 90% of

3024-449: Is one of the fastest-growing economic resources and became the country's leading foreign exchange earner in 2007. In spite of the genocide's legacy, the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination. The number of tourist arrivals in 2013 was 864,000 people, up from 504,000 in 2010. Revenue from tourism was US$ 303 million in 2014, up from just US$ 62 million in 2000. The largest contributor to this revenue

3136-454: Is one of the twenty deepest lakes in the world . Other sizeable 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 . Mountains dominate central and western Rwanda and the country is sometimes called " Pays des mille collines " in French ("Land of a thousand hills"). They are part of

3248-407: Is quite recent. 3°02′07″S 28°59′08″E  /  3.03528°S 28.98556°E  / -3.03528; 28.98556 Agro-town An agro-town is an agglomeration in a rural environment with a population of several thousands but whose workforce's main occupation is agriculture. An agro-town also lacks the administrative, commercial and industrial functions that are usually common in

3360-642: Is the Rusizi River at 950 metres (3,117 ft) above sea level. Rwanda is located in Central/Eastern Africa, and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and Burundi to the south. It lies a few degrees south of the equator and is landlocked . The capital, Kigali, is located near the centre of Rwanda. The watershed between

3472-499: Is the head of state , and has broad powers including creating policy in conjunction with the Cabinet of Rwanda , commanding the armed forces , negotiating and ratifying treaties, signing presidential orders, and declaring war or a state of emergency. The president is elected every seven years , and appoints the prime minister and all other members of the Cabinet. The Parliament consists of two chambers . It makes legislation and

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3584-417: Is the 26th lowest out of 224 countries and territories. The overall sex ratio of the country is 95.9 males per 100 females. At 445 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,150/sq mi), Rwanda's population density is amongst the highest in Africa. Historians such as Gérard Prunier believe that the 1994 genocide can be partly attributed to the population density. The population is predominantly rural, with

3696-430: Is the largest religion in the country; the principal and national language is Kinyarwanda , spoken by native Rwandans, with English, French and Swahili serving as additional official foreign languages. Rwanda's economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture . Coffee and tea are the major cash crops that it exports. Tourism is a fast-growing sector and is now the country's leading foreign exchange earner. As of

3808-524: Is the road to the port of Mombasa via Kampala and Nairobi , which is known as the Northern Corridor . The principal form of public transport in the country is the minibus , accounting for more than half of all passenger carrying capacity. Some minibuses, particularly in Kigali, operate an unscheduled service, under a shared taxi system, while others run to a schedule, offering express routes between

3920-617: Is used in the manufacture of electronic and communication devices such as mobile phones. Rwanda's service sector suffered during the late-2000s recession as bank lending, foreign aid projects and investment were reduced. The sector rebounded in 2010, becoming the country's largest sector by economic output and contributing 43.6% of the country's GDP. Key tertiary contributors include banking and finance, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage, communication, insurance, real estate, business services and public administration including education and health. Tourism

4032-634: The Belgian Congo period, the region exhibited a sparse population, prompting the colonists to institute the " Chefferie des Bafulero " with the objective of organizing each distinct ethnic faction into well-defined geographical entities. Lemera groupement is administratively subdivided into villages: Lemera has a long history of conflict and political instability, which has led to ongoing security concerns for its residents and visitors alike. The region has experienced various periods of violence and unrest , with armed groups and militia factions operating in

4144-606: The Democratic Republic of the Congo were tense following Rwanda's involvement in the First and Second Congo Wars ; the Congolese army alleged Rwandan attacks on their troops, while Rwanda blamed the Congolese government for failing to suppress Hutu rebels in North and South Kivu provinces. In 2010, the United Nations released a report accusing the Rwandan army of committing wide scale human rights violations and crimes against humanity in

4256-589: The East African Community in 2007, and has ratified a plan for monetary union amongst the seven member nations, which could eventually lead to a common East African shilling . Rwanda is a country of few natural resources, and the economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools. An estimated 90% of the working population farms, and agriculture constituted an estimated 32.5% of GDP in 2014. Farming techniques are basic, with small plots of land and steep slopes. Since

4368-589: The Great Rift Valley of East Africa , where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator , Rwanda is bordered by Uganda , Tanzania , Burundi , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is highly elevated, giving it the sobriquet "land of a thousand hills" ( French : pays des mille collines ), with its geography dominated by mountains in

4480-505: The Kingdom of Rwanda . By 1700, around eight kingdoms had existed in the present-day Rwanda. One of these, the Kingdom of Rwanda ruled by the Tutsi Nyiginya clan, became increasingly dominant from the mid-eighteenth century. The kingdom reached its greatest extent during the nineteenth century under the reign of King Kigeli Rwabugiri . Rwabugiri conquered several smaller states, expanded

4592-758: The March 23 Movement , which occupies several localities in the east of the country, created tensions in Lemera. Defeated in 2013 , the March 23 Movement, whose fighters had taken refuge in Uganda and Rwanda , resumed military activities in 2022, causing civilians to flee to Lemera from other afflicted regions. According to the coordinator of ACMEJ/ Katogota , Eric Muvomo , nearly one hundred new cases of displaced children have been received by another NGO “Espace d'amis d'enfance” (EAE) in Kidote , in

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4704-675: The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group composed of Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from their base in Uganda, initiating the Rwandan Civil War . The group condemned the Hutu-dominated government for failing to democratize and confront the problems facing these refugees. Neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage in the war, but by 1992 it had weakened Habyarimana's authority; mass demonstrations forced him into

4816-622: The Rwenzori turaco and handsome spurfowl . Eastern Rwanda, by contrast, features savanna birds such as the black-headed gonolek and those associated with swamps and lakes, including storks and cranes . Recent entomological work in the country has revealed a rich diversity of praying mantises , including a new species Dystacta tigrifrutex , dubbed the "bush tiger mantis". Rwanda contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Albertine Rift montane forests , Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic , and Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands . The country had

4928-628: The Volcanoes National Park is mostly bamboo and moorland, with small areas of forest. By contrast, Akagera has a savanna ecosystem in which acacia dominates the flora. There are several rare or endangered plant species in Akagera, including Markhamia lutea and Eulophia guineensis . The greatest diversity of large mammals is found in the three national parks, which are designated conservation areas. Akagera contains typical savanna animals such as giraffes and elephants, while Volcanoes

5040-786: The Albertine Rift Mountains that flank the Albertine branch of the East African Rift , which runs from north to south along Rwanda's western border. The highest peaks are found in the Virunga volcano chain in the northwest; this includes Mount Karisimbi , Rwanda's highest point, at 4,507 metres (14,787 ft). This western section of the country lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion. It has an elevation of 1,500 to 2,500 metres (4,921 to 8,202 ft). The centre of

5152-515: The Democratic Republic of the Congo during the First and Second Congo Wars , charges denied by the Rwandan government. Relations soured further in 2012, as Kinshasa accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion , an insurgency in the eastern Congo. As of 2015 , peace has been restored and relations are improving. Rwanda's relationship with Uganda was also tense for much of the 2000s following

5264-544: The RPF-led army was a key belligerent in the First and Second Congo Wars . Within Rwanda, a period of reconciliation and justice began, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the reintroduction of Gacaca , a traditional village court system. Since 2000 Rwanda's economy, tourist numbers, and Human Development Index have grown rapidly; between 2006 and 2011

5376-412: The Rwandan king and perpetuated a pro-Tutsi policy. The Hutu population revolted in 1959. They massacred numerous Tutsi and ultimately established an independent, Hutu-dominated republic in 1962 led by President Grégoire Kayibanda . A 1973 military coup overthrew Kayibanda and brought Juvénal Habyarimana to power, who retained the pro-Hutu policy. The Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched

5488-553: The United States, European Union , Japan, and others. The transport system consists primarily of the road network, with paved roads between Kigali and most other major cities and towns in the country. Rwanda is linked by road to other countries in the East African Community, namely Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya , as well as to the eastern Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu ; the country's most important trade route

5600-576: The abolition of the death penalty, but also alleges interference in the judicial system by members of the government, such as the politically motivated appointment of judges, misuse of prosecutorial power, and pressure on judges to make particular decisions. The constitution provides for two types of courts: ordinary and specialised. Ordinary courts are the Supreme Court , the High Court , and regional courts, while specialised courts are military courts and

5712-539: The ancestors of the Twa , aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers who remain in Rwanda today. Then by 3,000BC, Central Sudanic and Kuliak farmers and herders began settling into Rwanda, followed by South Cushitic speaking herders in 2,000BC. The forest-dwelling Twa lost much of their habitat and moved to the mountain slopes. Between 800 BC and 1500 AD, a number of Bantu groups migrated into Rwanda, clearing forest land for agriculture. Historians have several theories regarding

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5824-753: The area and contributing to a general sense of insecurity. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Congo Wars ravaged the region, and the Lemera Hospital , located approximately 85 kilometers north of Uvira , stood as the largest hospital in the region. Operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross , the medical facility served as a military hospital during the First Congo War , providing treatment to injured soldiers and civilians from all over

5936-508: The busiest routes being those to Nairobi and Entebbe ; there is one domestic route, between Kigali and Kamembe Airport near Cyangugu . In 2017, construction began on the Bugesera International Airport , to the south of Kigali, which will become the country's largest when it opens, complementing the existing Kigali airport. The national carrier is RwandAir , and the country is served by seven foreign airlines. As of 2015

6048-413: The cables run along major roads, linking towns around the country. Mobile provider MTN also runs a wireless internet service accessible in most areas of Kigali via pre-paid subscription. In October 2019, Mara Corporation launched the first African-made smartphone in Rwanda. The Rwandan government prioritised funding of water supply development during the 2000s, significantly increasing its share of

6160-552: The camp of Mai-Mai Biloze Bishambuke fighters in Masango, in the Bijombo grouping ( groupement ), Bavira Chiefdom . Meanwhile, northeast of Lemera, clashes between Ngumino militiamen and the Mai-Mai coalition and Burundian FNL left seven people dead. These fights took place in the village Kifuni, northeast of the capital of the chiefdom of Bafuliiru.   In early 2022, the re-emergence of

6272-579: The capital of the Bahamba Dynasty of Bafuliiru . This dynasty originated from Lwindi (presently recognized as Luindi Chiefdom in the Mwenga Territory ) during the 17th century and subsequently undertook a migration to the contemporary Uvira Territory . Lemera derived its nomenclature from Mulemera , the progenitor of Kahamba and the founding figure of the Bafuliiru Dynasty in Lemera. During

6384-586: The centers of such size. This type of agglomeration is particularly present around the Mediterranean Sea , in West Africa , and in the Americas . The population of agro-towns are commonly very poor; most workers do not own the land and are employed seasonally as wage labour. This also explains why these populations are often very fluctuant, with a large immigration during harvest and a significant emigration during

6496-471: The country had no railways, but there is a project underway, in conjunction with Burundi and Tanzania, to extend the Tanzanian Central Line into Rwanda; the three countries have invited expressions of interest from private firms to form a public private partnership for the scheme. There is no public water transport between the port cities on Lake Kivu, although a limited private service exists and

6608-400: The country is 72.6%, up from 41.6% in 2011. MTN Rwanda is the leading provider, with 3,957,986 subscribers, followed by Tigo with 2,887,328, and Bharti Airtel with 1,336,679. Rwandatel has also previously operated a mobile phone network, but the industry regulator revoked its licence in April 2011, following the company's failure to meet agreed investment commitments. Internet penetration

6720-425: The country is predominantly rolling hills, while the eastern border region consists of savanna , plains and swamps. Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than are typical for equatorial countries because of its high elevation. Kigali, in the centre of the country, has a typical daily temperature range between 15 and 28 °C (59 and 82 °F), with little variation through

6832-517: The country's electricity. A combination of below average rainfall and human activity, including the draining of the Rugezi wetlands for cultivation and grazing, caused the two lakes' water levels to fall from 1990 onwards; by 2004 levels were reduced by 50%, leading to a sharp drop in output from the power stations. This, coupled with increased demand as the economy grew, precipitated a shortfall in 2004 and widespread loadshedding . As an emergency measure,

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6944-420: The country's power generation by 40%. Only 18% of the population had access to electricity in 2012, though this had risen from 10.8% in 2009. The government's Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy for 2013–18 aims to increase access to electricity to 70% of households by 2017. The government has increased investment in the transport infrastructure of Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, with aid from

7056-422: The country, little use is made of rainwater harvesting , and residents are forced to use water very sparingly, relative to usage in other African countries. Access to sanitation remains low; the United Nations estimates that in 2006, 34% of urban and 20% of rural dwellers had access to improved sanitation , with this statistic increasing to 92% for the total population (95% urban and 91% urban) in 2022. Kigali

7168-616: The country, including illegal and arbitrary detention, threats or other forms of intimidation, disappearances, politically motivated trials, and the massacre of peacefully protesting civilians. Rwanda is a member of the United Nations , African Union , Francophonie , East African Community , and the Commonwealth of Nations . For many years during the Habyarimana regime, the country maintained close ties with France, as well as Belgium,

7280-440: The countryside (known as masia ). On the other hand, landless wage labourers often travel large distances to reach the location of their employer. Despite the relative abundance of labour, the surrounding exploitations tend to concentrate in non-labour-intensive cultures due to the supervision issue that arises with large labour forces. Consequently latifundia tend to specialize in capital-intensive cash crops, which often require

7392-428: The delivery of public services as mandated by the districts. Districts and sectors have directly elected councils, and are run by an executive committee selected by that council. The cells and villages are the smallest political units, providing a link between the people and the sectors. All adult resident citizens are members of their local cell council, from which an executive committee is elected. The city of Kigali

7504-597: The district level. The Rwanda Decentralisation Strategic Framework developed by the Ministry of Local Government assigns to provinces the responsibility for "coordinating governance issues in the Province, as well as monitoring and evaluation". Each province is headed by a governor, appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. The districts are responsible for coordinating public service delivery and economic development. They are divided into sectors, which are responsible for

7616-510: The east of the country. Rwanda was ranked 104th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024. The largest radio and television stations are state-run, and the majority of newspapers are owned by the government. Most Rwandans have access to radio; during the 1994 genocide, the radio station Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines broadcast across the country, and helped to fuel the killings through anti-Tutsi propaganda. As of 2015 ,

7728-527: The eastern border with Tanzania. The Nyabarongo-Kagera eventually drains into Lake Victoria , and its source in Nyungwe Forest is a contender for the as-yet undetermined overall source of the Nile . Rwanda has many lakes, the largest being Lake Kivu . This lake occupies the floor of the Albertine Rift along most of the length of Rwanda's western border, and with a maximum depth of 480 metres (1,575 ft), it

7840-420: The edification of large specialized buildings such as windmills or oil presses. Such a peculiar and somewhat counter-intuitive type of agglomeration has led to a lot of speculation regarding their origin. Among the main theories regarding their emergence, the most common are related to their environment. Agro-towns being prevalent in warm environments, it's been pointed out that they tended to emerge where water

7952-544: The fifth-cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and 55th-cleanest out of 175 in the world. The constitution provides for an ombudsman , whose duties include prevention and fighting of corruption. Public officials (including the president) are required by the constitution to declare their wealth to the ombudsman and to the public; those who do not comply are suspended from office. Despite this, Human Rights Watch notes extensive political repression throughout

8064-407: The formation of an alliance with the king, beginning the colonial era. The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy, and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces invaded Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I , and later, in 1922, they started to rule both Rwanda and Burundi as

8176-484: The former colonial power. Under the RPF government, however, Rwanda has sought closer ties with neighbouring countries in the East African Community and with the English-speaking world. Diplomatic relations with France were suspended in 2006 following the indictment of Rwandan officials by a French judge, and despite their restoration in 2010, as of 2015 relations between the countries remain strained. Relations with

8288-474: The government are widely available in Kigali. Restrictions were increased in the run-up to the Rwandan presidential election of 2010, with two independent newspapers, Umuseso and Umuvugizi , being suspended for six months by the High Media Council . The country's oldest telecommunications group, Rwandatel , went into liquidation in 2011, having been 80% owned by Libyan company LAP Green . The company

8400-514: The government has initiated a programme to develop a full service. The Ministry of Infrastructure is also investigating the feasibility of linking Rwanda to Lake Victoria via shipping on the Akagera River . As of 2015 , the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda estimated Rwanda's population to be 11,262,564, while the projection for 2022 was 13,246,394. The 2012 census recorded

8512-459: The government installed diesel generators north of Kigali; by 2006 these were providing 56% of the country's electricity, but were very costly. The government enacted a number of measures to alleviate this problem, including rehabilitating the Rugezi wetlands, which supply water to Burera and Ruhondo and investing in a scheme to extract methane gas from Lake Kivu, expected in its first phase to increase

8624-513: The high level of tension between the town residents and the landlords. As the most fertile lands are the most likely to attract large investors, agro-towns may be seen as a version of the resource curse , as more productive lands lead to a high level of misery among the population. Rwanda in Africa  (light blue) Rwanda , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a landlocked country in

8736-405: The industry. The industrial sector is small, contributing 14.8% of GDP in 2014. Products manufactured include cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles and cigarettes. Rwanda's mining industry is an important contributor, generating US$ 93 million in 2008. Minerals mined include cassiterite , wolframite , gold, and coltan , which

8848-494: The kingdom west and north, and initiated administrative reforms; these included ubuhake , in which Tutsi patrons ceded cattle, and therefore privileged status, to Hutu or Tutsi clients in exchange for economic and personal service, and uburetwa , a corvée system in which Hutu were forced to work for Tutsi chiefs. Rwabugiri's changes caused a rift to grow between the Hutu and Tutsi populations. The Twa were better off than in pre-Kingdom days, with some becoming dancers in

8960-511: The low season or in case of crises. The concentration of the land in the hands of a small elite of often absentee landlords commonly leads to tensions within the towns, leading in the 20th century to a prevalence of the communist vote in many agro-towns in Mediterranean Europe. Large landlords are typically absent and leave the management of their estates to agents who seldom lives in the town but rather in large and prosperous farmhouses in

9072-609: The lowest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties and quality of life. The population is young and predominantly rural; Rwanda has one of the youngest populations in the world. Rwandans are drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda . However, within this group there are three subgroups: the Hutu , Tutsi and Twa . The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people and are often considered descendants of Rwanda's earliest inhabitants. Christianity

9184-668: The major Congo and Nile drainage basins 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 Rusizi River and Lake Tanganyika . The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo , which rises in the south-west, flows north, east, and southeast before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera ; the Kagera then flows due north along

9296-459: The major cities. There are a smaller number of large buses, which operate a scheduled service around the country. The principal private hire vehicle is the motorcycle taxi ; in 2013 there were 9,609 registered motorcycle taxis in Rwanda, compared with just 579 taxicabs . Coach services are available to various destinations in neighbouring countries. The country has an international airport at Kigali that serves several international destinations,

9408-800: The medical staff. The armed elements also vandalized the hospital, leaving in their wake a trail of destruction and devastation. On April 29, 2021, the Ngumino , an armed group composed of members of the Banyamulenge community, stole 75 cows from Kanono village in the highlands of the Bafuliiru chieftaincy, located 44 km northwest of Lemera, in the Uvira Territory . In May 2021, the Twigwaneho (a Banyamulenge rebel group) and their allies led by an army deserter Colonel Michel Rukunda alias Makanika attacked

9520-439: The mid-1980s, farm sizes and food production have been decreasing, due in part to the resettlement of displaced people. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, and food imports are required. However, in recent years with the growth of agriculture, the situation has improved. Subsistence crops grown in the country include matoke (green bananas), which occupy more than

9632-419: The middle plateaux of Lemera. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the two main activities of Lemera. The agriculture sector is an important component of the regional economy. The main food crops grown include cassava (nearly 25% of national production), yams, maize, groundnuts, oil palm, okra (dongo -dongo), zucchini, eggplant, pepper, tomato, cucumber, roselle (Guinea sorrel) and soybeans whose introduction

9744-477: The most recent survey in 2019/20, 48.8% of the population continues to be affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 22.7% vulnerable to it. Major export markets include China, Germany, and the United States. The economy is managed by the central National Bank of Rwanda and the currency is the Rwandan franc ; in December 2023, the exchange rate was 1250 francs to one United States dollar. Rwanda joined

9856-531: The most recent survey in 2019/20, 48.8% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 22.7% vulnerable to it. The country is a member of the African Union , the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations (one of few member states that does not have any historical links with the British Empire ), COMESA , OIF and the East African Community . Modern human settlement of what

9968-604: The national budget. This funding, along with donor support, caused a rapid increase in access to safe water; in 2015, 74% of the population had access to safe water, up from about 55% in 2005; the government has committed to increasing this to 100% by 2017. The country's water infrastructure consists of urban and rural systems that deliver water to the public, mainly through standpipes in rural areas and private connections in urban areas. In areas not served by these systems, hand pumps and managed springs are used. Despite rainfall exceeding 750 millimetres (30 in) annually in most of

10080-497: The nature of the Bantu migrations; one theory is that the first settlers were Hutu , while the Tutsi migrated later to form a distinct racial group, possibly of Nilo-hamitic origin. An alternative theory is that the migration was slow and steady, with incoming groups integrating into rather than conquering the existing society. Under this theory, the Hutu and Tutsi distinction arose later and

10192-489: The northern part) as a UN trust territory after the Second World War , with a mandate to oversee eventual independence . Tensions escalated between the Tutsi, who favoured early independence, and the Hutu emancipation movement, culminating in the 1959 Rwandan Revolution : Hutu activists began killing Tutsi and destroying their houses, forcing more than 100,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. In 1961,

10304-435: The numbers of each. Production systems are mostly traditional, although there are a few intensive dairy farms around Kigali. Shortages of land and water, insufficient and poor-quality feed, and regular disease epidemics with insufficient veterinary services are major constraints that restrict output. Fishing takes place on the country's lakes, but stocks are very depleted, and live fish are being imported in an attempt to revive

10416-526: The old system and the genocide. The previous structure of twelve provinces associated with the largest cities was replaced with five provinces based primarily on geography. These are Northern Province , Southern Province , Eastern Province , Western Province , and the Municipality of Kigali in the centre. The five provinces act as intermediaries between the national government and their constituent districts to ensure that national policies are implemented at

10528-539: The orders of the interim government. Many Twa were also killed, despite not being directly targeted. The Tutsi RPF restarted their offensive, and took control of the country methodically, gaining control of the whole country by mid-July. The international response to the genocide was limited, with major powers reluctant to strengthen the already overstretched UN peacekeeping force . When the RPF took over, approximately two million Hutu fled to neighbouring countries , in particular Zaïre , fearing reprisals; additionally,

10640-404: The population in 2009, the Tutsi 15% and Twa 1%. The Twa are a pygmy people who descend from Rwanda's earliest inhabitants, but scholars do not agree on the origins of and differences between the Hutu and Tutsi. Anthropologist Jean Hiernaux contends that the Tutsi are a separate race, with a tendency towards "long and narrow heads, faces and noses"; others, such as Villia Jefremovas, believe there

10752-467: The population is drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda ; this contrasts with most modern African states, whose borders were drawn by colonial powers and did not correspond to ethnic boundaries or pre-colonial kingdoms. Within the Banyarwanda people, there are three separate groups, the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. The CIA World Factbook gives estimates that the Hutu made up 84% of

10864-433: The poverty rate reduced from 57% to 45%, while life expectancy rose from 46.6 years in 2000 to 65.4 years in 2021. In 2009, Rwanda joined the Commonwealth of Nations , although the country was never part of the British Empire . Rwanda is a de facto one-party state ruled by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and its leader Paul Kagame continuously since the end of the civil war in 1994. Although Rwanda

10976-637: The region. The hospital was renowned for its skilled medical staff and the provision of top-notch medical care. During the Lemera massacre , which marked the beginning of the First Congo War on October 6, 1996, the Banyamulenge armed groups, supported by Rwanda and Uganda , attacked the town, resulting in the loss of several dozen victims. 37 people were killed in the Lemera Hospital, including two members of

11088-532: The remaining animals were poisoned by cattle herders. In June 2015, two South African parks donated seven lions to Akagera National Park , reestablishing a lion population in Rwanda. The lions were held initially in a fenced-off area of the park, and then collared and released into the wild a month later. Eighteen endangered black rhinos were brought to Rwanda in 2017 from South Africa. After positive results, five more black rhinos were delivered to Akagera National Park from zoos all over Europe in 2019. Similarly,

11200-526: The royal court, but their numbers continued to decline. The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to the German Empire , who declared it to be part of German East Africa . In 1894, explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to cross the entire territory of Rwanda; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king. In 1897, Germany established a presence in Rwanda with

11312-575: The state-run Radio Rwanda was the largest station and the main source of news throughout the country. Television access is limited, with most homes not having their own set. The government rolled out digital television in 2014, and a year later there were seven national stations operating, up from just one in the pre-2014 analogue era. The press is tightly restricted, and newspapers routinely self-censor to avoid government reprisals. Nonetheless, publications in Kinyarwanda, English, and French critical of

11424-453: The suddenly pro-Hutu Belgians held a referendum in which the country voted to abolish the monarchy. Rwanda was separated from Burundi and gained independence on 1 July 1962, which is commemorated as Independence Day, a national holiday. Cycles of violence followed, with exiled Tutsi attacking from neighbouring countries and the Hutu retaliating with large-scale slaughter and repression of the Tutsi. In 1973, Juvénal Habyarimana took power in

11536-698: The territory in the Stone and Iron Ages , followed later by Bantu peoples . The population coalesced first into clans , and then into kingdoms. In the 15th century, one kingdom, under King Gihanga, managed to incorporate several of its close neighbor territories establishing the Kingdom of Rwanda . The Kingdom of Rwanda dominated from the mid-eighteenth century, with the Tutsi kings conquering others militarily, centralising power, and enacting unifying policies. In 1897, Germany colonized Rwanda as part of German East Africa , followed by Belgium , which took control in 1916 during World War I . Both European nations ruled through

11648-468: The wake of New Imperialism , promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races . In 1935, Belgium introduced an identity card system, which labelled each individual as either Tutsi, Hutu, Twa or Naturalised. While it had been previously possible for particularly wealthy Hutu to become honorary Tutsi, the identity cards prevented any further movement between the classes. Belgium continued to rule Ruanda-Urundi (of which Rwanda formed

11760-417: The west and savanna to the southeast, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. It is the most densely populated mainland African country; among countries larger than 10,000 km , it is the fifth-most densely populated country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Kigali . Hunter-gatherers settled

11872-581: The west and northwest of the country receiving more precipitation annually than the east and southeast. Global warming has caused a change in the pattern of the rainy seasons. According to a report by the Strategic Foresight Group, change in climate has reduced the number of rainy days experienced during a year, but has also caused an increase in frequency of torrential rains. Both changes have caused difficulty for farmers, decreasing their productivity. Strategic Foresight also characterise Rwanda as

11984-469: The white rhino population is growing in Rwanda. In 2021, Rwanda received 30 white rhinos from South Africa with the goal of Akagera being a safe breeding ground for the near-threatened species. There are 670 bird species in Rwanda , with variation between the east and the west. Nyungwe Forest, in the west, has 280 recorded species, of which 26 are endemic to the Albertine Rift; endemic species include

12096-492: The year. There are some temperature variations across the country; the mountainous west and north are generally cooler than the lower-lying east. There are two rainy seasons in the year; the first runs from February to June and the second 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 severe one from December to February. Rainfall varies geographically, with

12208-493: Was mountain gorilla tracking, in the Volcanoes National Park; Rwanda is one of only three countries in which mountain gorillas can be visited safely; the gorillas attract thousands of visitors per year, who are prepared to pay high prices for permits. 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

12320-424: Was a class distinction rather than a racial one. The earliest form of social organisation in the area was the clan ( ubwoko ). The clans were not limited to genealogical lineages or geographical area, and most included Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. From the 15th century, the clans began to merge into kingdoms. One kingdom, under King Gihanga, managed to incorporate several of its close neighbor territories establishing

12432-477: Was acquired in 2013 by Liquid Telecom , a company providing telecommunications and fibre optic networks across eastern and southern Africa. As of 2015 , Liquid Telecom provides landline service to 30,968 subscribers, with mobile operator MTN Rwanda serving an additional 15,497 fixed line subscribers. Landlines are mostly used by government institutions, banks, NGOs and embassies, with private subscription levels low. As of 2015 , mobile phone penetration in

12544-474: Was rare and the population had to cluster around a well. Another factor that is commonly mentioned to explain the rise of agro-towns is the higher salubrity of the site of the agglomeration. The prevalence of malaria in wetlands implied that it was healthier to live in higher ground, which may have led to a concentration of the population on some hills. Incidentally, higher ground and concentrated habitat also provide good defensive positions, which may have played

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