
Rwanda Guide
Rwanda – country information
Country name | Rwanda |
Official name | Republic of Rwanda |
Capital | Kigali |
continent | Africa |
Area | 26,338 km |
Population | 10 537 222 (2012) |
Foundation of a state | 1. 7. 1962 |
The highest mountains | Mt. Karisimbi 4507 m (Virunga) |
Longest rivers | Nyawarungu (Kagera) 350 km |
State system | transitional government |
The biggest cities | Kigali (capital) 260,000 |
Official language | Rwandan, French |
Ethnicity/National Composition | Hutus about 90%, others about 10% |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic 65%, Traditional Faith 17%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 9% |
Currency | 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes |
gross domestic product (GDP) | US$1,441 (2012) |
Average life expectancy of the population | 47.30 let (2006) |
Rwanda – Neighboring States
State | Capital | Area | Populace |
Burundi | Bujumbura | 27,834 km | 10 163 000 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa | 2,344,860 km | 67 514 000 |
Tanzania | Dodoma | 945,087 km | 44 928 923 |
Uganda | Kampala | 241,038 km2 | 35 357 000 |
Country overview
According to Abbreviationfinder, the Republic of Rwanda is a landlocked country located in Central East Africa, bordering Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Located in the Great Lakes region, the state is nicknamed the ” Land of a Thousand Hills ” due to its mountainous surface. The lowest place is the Ruzizi River with an altitude of 950 masl. The western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo is formed by Lake Kivu and the valley of the Ruzizi River. With an area of 26,798 km 2, Rwanda ranks among the smallest countries on the African continent.
The surface of Rwanda consists of grassy plains that are widely used by farmers. From the northwest, the country is crossed by the Virunga volcanic mountain range with the 4,519-meter-high Karisimbi volcano. The border between the Congo and Nile basins stretches from north to south at an average height of around 2,700 meters above sea level. From the western slopes of the ridge, the landscape drops sharply to Lake Kiwu, forming part of the Great Trench Basin. The eastern part of the mountain divide is milder and gradually descends into the area of highlands, swamps and lakes on the eastern border of the territory. In 2006, a British expedition announced that they had discovered the main source of the Nile in Nyungwe National Park.
Country data
Location: Central Africa
Time zone: CET + 1 (during summer time: CET)
Total area: 26,338 km²
Land area: 24,668 km²
Water area: 1,670 km²
Length of the state border: 893 km
Bordering countries:
Burundi: 290 km
Congo, Democratic Rep.: 217 km
Tanzania: 217 km
Uganda: 169 km
Coastline: 0 km
Capital: Kigali
Provinces: 5
Est (East), Kigali, North (North), Ouest (West), Sud (South)
Telephone code: 00 250 (Source: Allcitycodes)
Highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Population
Population: approx. 12.3 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)
Population growth: 2.6% per year
Population density (residents per km²): 467
Life expectancy: 58 (male), 61 (female)
Official language: English, French, Kinyarwanda
Religions:
- 50% Roman Catholic
- 39% Protestants
- 11% other
Climate
From December to January and from June to September hardly any rain falls. In the remaining months, short, heavy rain showers can fall continuously.
In the highlands the humidity is higher than in the low regions.
The daytime temperature is around 20 ° C with slight fluctuations over the year.
Currency / finance
Currency unit: Rwandan Franc (RWF)
Classification: 1 Franc = 100 Centimes
ATMs: Only available in Kigali, but rarely accept foreign cards.
International credit cards: Only accepted in a few hotels and restaurants in the capital.
Regulations: There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies that can be imported (mandatory declaration). The export is limited to the amount of the declared import.
The import and export of the local currency is limited to 5,000 RWF.
As a foreign currency, it is recommended to bring US dollars with you.
Since it is almost impossible to exchange the local currency back, you should only change the amounts you actually need.
Customs regulations
The following may be carried duty-free:
- 200 cigarettes or up to 400g of other tobacco products
- 2 liters of alcoholic beverages
(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)
Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.
Hunting trophies may only be exported with a permit from the Rwandan Tourist Board.
There is an import ban for:
- Drugs of all kinds
- Plastic packaging and bags
- all kinds of pornographic material
- weapons
Travel advice
Travel to the border regions to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that is not absolutely necessary should be avoided due to the local situation.
Economy
The Rwandan economy, which is geared towards the production of food for its own use, has been badly affected by long civil wars.
The World Bank classifies Rwanda as a heavily indebted developing country with around 60% of the population living below the poverty line.
Industries: ore mining, food production, light industry, textile industry
Natural resources: iron ores, natural gas, gold, farmland, hydropower, tungsten
Land use:
- Usable land: 35%
- Grain cultivation: 13%
- Pasture area: 18%
- Forests: 22%
- other: 12%