the land of a million hills is a lush country set on high altitude. It is home to a third of the world’s population of mountain Gorillas, has numerous investment opportunities and is considered one of the safest countries in sub-Saharan Africa and least corrupt. The shores of Lake Kivu have beautiful inland beaches and Nyungwe Forest is the largest montane rainforest in the region.
Capital city
Kigali the capital of the country is in the center of the country.
Attractions
many people visit Rwanda to see gorillas and in the light of the past genocide. However there is more to RWanda. Places to visit include
- Volcanoes which is popular for mountain Gorilla tracking.
- Akagera National park good variety of wild animals
- Nyabugogo market a beehive of activity you can shop for groceries and get transport from around Rwanda here. Chaotic though it gives you a perspective of day to day Rwandan life.
- Nyungwe National Reserve good for nature walks.
- Butare the intellectual capital. Her eyou find the National Museum which aims to preserve Bunyarwanda traditions
- Nyanza home of the last mwami (spiritual leader and king of Rwanda) who is now in exile in Washington D.C.
- Gisenyi, here you can visit the pristine beach at kivu, have a drink at the beach or walk to the border with Congo.
- Take a boat ride from Nyamyumba (you can have delicious fresh grilled fish here) to near by Island or to hotsprings.
- Memorial sites for the genocide museum the churches and Rwanda genocide museum
The People
Rwanda is composed of three social groups the Hutu Tutsi and Twa they are all from one tribe the Bunyarwanda and speak the same language and have same culture and customs. The population is young with most of the people being under 65%. The languages spoken in Rwanda are Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, English and French.
Bunyarwanda entertainment is characterized by drumming, there is story telling and different dances performed separately by men and women. Bunyarwanda art consists mainly of basketry and a unique cow dung art that is mixed with soil referred to as imigongo.
Rwandan cuisine consists of cassava, potatoes ugali and banana. In most house holds meat is eaten only a few time s a month. Tripe, beef or fish are common. Brochettes are the most popular food when eating out. Local drinks include fermented milk called ikivuguto and a traditional beer known as urwagwa.
The Weather
The country has a cool temperate tropical climate as it high the lowest point being Rusizi river that is 950 meters above sea level and mountainous. There are mountains in the central and western areas of the country and it has a number of large lakes and rivers. 80% of the country drains into the Nile and 20% to the Congo via Rusizi river. The west is cooler than the east however there variance in temperature through the year is small. There are 2 rainy seasons February to April and November to January. The dry season is June to September and December to February.
Traveling
shopping
What to bring
Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required to return to country of origin.
Investment Opportunities
Investment opportunities are available in most sectors. Rwanda has few natural resources however its soil is fertile and it is an agricultural country. Rwanda’s Natural resources include gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land. Most of its foreign exchange coming from tourism, while agriculture contributes most to its GDP. The country is a member of East African Community , La Francophonie and the United nations.
Sanitation is very low with most people sharing communal pit latrines in rural areas and poor sanitation in the urban areas. There are 3 major telephone operators and most other major services are state managed including electricity, water and telephony.
Some famous Rwandese
Writers: Alexis Kagame
Events and Exhibitions
Do you have an event coming up in Rwanda? Do let us know about it.
