getting to know you...

Hi, i'm a landlocked republic lying south of the Equator in east-central Africa. Known for its breathtaking scenery, apart from my official name I am often referred to as le pays des mille collines (French: “land of a thousand hills”). My capital is Kigali, located in the centre of the country on the Ruganwa River.

Like Burundi, my neighbour to the south, I am a geographically small country with one of the highest population densities in sub-Saharan Africa. I also shares with Burundi a long history of monarchical rule. Unlike what happened in Burundi, however, the demise of the my kingship came about through a grassroots Hutu-led upheaval that occurred before the country became independent in 1962. Ethnic strife between the majority Hutu and minority Tutsi factions peaked in 1994. Civil war and genocide at that time left my entireeconomy and social fabric in shambles. The years that followed have been characterized by reconstruction and ethnic reconciliation. But let's gloss over that for now and get into some facts about me!

I am bounded to the north by Uganda, to the east by Tanzania, to the south as I said by Burundi, and to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) and Lake Kivu.

The landscape is reminiscent of a tropical Switzerland, yes I know wow! indeed. My dominant feature is a chain of mountains of rugged beauty that runs on a north-south axis and forms part of the Congo-Nile divide. From the volcanoes of the Virunga (Birunga) Mountains in the northwest—where the Karisimbi reaches 14,787 feet (4,507 metres)—the elevation drops to 4,000 feet (1,220 metres) in the swampy Kagera (Akagera) River valley in the east. The interior highlands consist of rolling hills and valleys, yielding to a low-lying depression west of the Congo-Nile divide along the shores of Lake Kivu.

What is my climate like I hear you ask? Well, buckle up butter cup and let me tell you, my elevation accounts for generally mild temperatures, which average 70 °F (21 °C) year-round at Kigali, for example, in the interior highlands. There are significant variations, however, between the region of the volcanoes in the northwest, where heavy rainfalls are accompanied by lower average temperatures, and the warmer and drier interior highlands. The average annual rainfall in the latter is about 45 inches (1,140 millimetres), which is concentrated in two rainy seasons (roughly February to May and October to December). Yeah, I'm kinda rangey but in a good way.

Now the fun facts.

1. Plastic bags are banned!

What you might not expect from an African country is to rank among the cleanest ones in the world. That is the case with me. My public spaces are always remarkably clean and there is normally not a single piece of rubbish around. That is partly due to the ban on plastic bags in the country from 2008. Upon entering the country, your luggage will be checked by officials and you will be asked to remove any plastic bags that you might have.

2. I have the highest %age of of women in parliament in the world. With over 60% of its parliament members being female, I have the highest percentage of women in the parliament in the world.

3. Every last Saturday of every month from 8am to 11am people nationwide participate in community projects. It's known as Umuganda and its mandatory. People all over the country take part in cleaning the streets, helping to build schools, cutting grass, etc. The idea behind this practice is not only to keep everything clean and tidy, but also to help unite people after the Genocide.

4. It is home to the endangered mountain gorillas.
About 60% of the population of this endangered species can be found in the Virunga Massif - which the Volcanoes National Park in my country is part of. Gorillas are fascinating animals and seeing them in their natural habitat is a unique experience, especially keeping in mind that people share over 97% of genetic code with them. My country takes their conservation very seriously. This means less than 100 tourists a day are allowed to take part in the gorilla tracking, the costs for which are more than $1000.

5. As I said I am known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills” My country is characterized by its hilly and mountainous terrain. The country is 1,000 m above sea level on average and never goes down to sea level.

6. I was once part of Germany
Before I became part of the Belgian Empire after WWI, I was part of Germany, together with Tanzania. Jah, for sure.

7. One of the most horrific genocides in history happened here. My country's population is made up mostly of Hutus and Tutsis. Although my people are working really hard now to leave their differences behind, these two ethnic groups have often been in conflicts historically. The culmination of this conflict was in 1994, when for a period of only about 100 days, almost one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by the Hutus. It is the fastest and one of the most brutal genocides in history – with weapons such as machetes and clubs used by both military and ordinary people.

8. I have inspired some of the greatest movies of all time
The 2014 drama “Hotel Rwanda” was inspired by the real story of Paul Rusesabagina – the manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines, who managed to save hundreds of lives during the genocide in 1994. This hotel is open and is now one of the most preferred choices for visitors of Kigali. Another critically acclaimed drama based on real events is the 1998 movie “Gorillas in the Mist”. It tells the story of naturalist Dian Fossey who studied the mountain gorillas extensively put a lot of effort in their conservation. In fact, one of the most popular hiking routes is named after her and leads to her tomb and her research camp.

9. I am the most densely populated country in Africa.
The average population density is estimated at 274.6 people per square kilometer, which makes it the most densely populated countries in Africa.

10. I have four official languages
The official languages of my country are French, English, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.

11. I host a car-free day once a month

To promote healthy living and sustainability, my country implements a car-free day each month. On these days the streets of my country fill up with people running, biking, roller skating or any other other type of outdoor sports.

Let's all raise a glass to wonderful Rwanda! User Posted Link

Posted By: Tombs, Apr 15, 11:57:36