Rwanda is a country in Central and East Africa. It is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The predominantly rural population of 11.7 million people forms three main groups: the Hutu (84% of the population), Tutsi (15%) and Twa (1%). The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people descended from Rwanda's earliest inhabitants.
The old Royal Palace of the Rwandan monarchy is located in the town of Nyanza. It is now the Rwesero Art Museum.
The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era.
Following the first World War Rwanda was placed under Belgian administration as a League of Nations mandate, then as the United Nations Trust territory.
The Germans and the Belgians had both promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races. Tension escalated between the Tutsi, who favored early independence, and the Hutu emancipation movement. In 1959 fighting broke out in 1959 between the two groups, resulting in a loss of some 22,000 lives and causing at least 336,000 Tutsi to flee to neighboring countries, where they lived as refugees.
In 1961, the Belgians held a referendum in which the country (then known as Ruanda) voted to abolish the monarchy. It achieved full independence on July 1, 1962 after a Hutu revolt led to massacres of Tutsis and the establishment of a Hutu-dominated republic named Rwanda.
Cycles of violence followed, with exiled Tutsi attacking from neighboring countries and the Hutu retaliating with large-scale slaughter and repression of the Tutsi.
The Rwandan Genocide begun on April 7, 1994 , the day after the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down. Hutu extremists killed an estimated 500,000 to 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutus over the following 100 days.
The Tutsi Republican Public Front gradually took control of Rwanda methodically, gaining control of the whole country by July and ending the genocide. The victory for the RPF over the Hutu extremists is celebrated as Liberation Day on July 4th.
The flag of Rwanda was adopted on October 25, 2001. The blue band represents happiness and peace, the yellow band symbolizes economic development, and the green band symbolizes the hope of prosperity. The sun represents enlightenment.
A period of reconciliation and justice began, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the reintroduction of Gacaca, a traditional village court system.
All of Rwanda is at high elevation, with a geography dominated by mountains in the west.
The economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools. Coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export.
The predominantly rural population of 11.7 million people forms three main groups: the Hutu (84% of the population), Tutsi (15%) and Twa (1%). The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people descended from Rwanda's earliest inhabitants.
The old Royal Palace of the Rwandan monarchy is located in the town of Nyanza. It is now the Rwesero Art Museum.
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| The ancient King's Palace in Nyanza (now museum). |
The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era.
Following the first World War Rwanda was placed under Belgian administration as a League of Nations mandate, then as the United Nations Trust territory.
The Germans and the Belgians had both promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races. Tension escalated between the Tutsi, who favored early independence, and the Hutu emancipation movement. In 1959 fighting broke out in 1959 between the two groups, resulting in a loss of some 22,000 lives and causing at least 336,000 Tutsi to flee to neighboring countries, where they lived as refugees.
In 1961, the Belgians held a referendum in which the country (then known as Ruanda) voted to abolish the monarchy. It achieved full independence on July 1, 1962 after a Hutu revolt led to massacres of Tutsis and the establishment of a Hutu-dominated republic named Rwanda.
Cycles of violence followed, with exiled Tutsi attacking from neighboring countries and the Hutu retaliating with large-scale slaughter and repression of the Tutsi.
The Rwandan Genocide begun on April 7, 1994 , the day after the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down. Hutu extremists killed an estimated 500,000 to 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutus over the following 100 days.
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| Building in which 10 Belgian UNAMIR soldiers were massacred. By Dylan Walters |
The Tutsi Republican Public Front gradually took control of Rwanda methodically, gaining control of the whole country by July and ending the genocide. The victory for the RPF over the Hutu extremists is celebrated as Liberation Day on July 4th.
The flag of Rwanda was adopted on October 25, 2001. The blue band represents happiness and peace, the yellow band symbolizes economic development, and the green band symbolizes the hope of prosperity. The sun represents enlightenment.
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| Rwanda flag |
A period of reconciliation and justice began, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the reintroduction of Gacaca, a traditional village court system.
All of Rwanda is at high elevation, with a geography dominated by mountains in the west.
The economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools. Coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export.
Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. The city has been Rwanda's economic, cultural, and transport hub since it became the capital following independence from Belgium in 1962.
The country's principal language is Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by most Rwandans.
In 2008, Rwanda banned plastic bags and, eleven years later it banned all single use plastics.
The last Saturday of each month in Rwanda is Umuganda day, which means "coming together in common purpose.", On that day adult Rwandans are required to join in nationwide clean-up tasks like picking up litter.
As of April 2017, Rwanda had the only government on earth in which the majority of parliamentarians are women.
The country's principal language is Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by most Rwandans.
In 2008, Rwanda banned plastic bags and, eleven years later it banned all single use plastics.
The last Saturday of each month in Rwanda is Umuganda day, which means "coming together in common purpose.", On that day adult Rwandans are required to join in nationwide clean-up tasks like picking up litter.
As of April 2017, Rwanda had the only government on earth in which the majority of parliamentarians are women.
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