Republic of Rwanda
Eastern Africa
Green · Resilient · Rising
Rwanda (officially Republic of Rwanda) is a country located in Eastern Africa. Its capital city is Kigali, with other major cities including Butare and Gisenyi. With a population of approximately 13.5M, the main languages spoken are Kinyarwanda, French, English. The country covers an area of 26,338 km². The official currency is the Rwandan franc (Fr). Traffic drives on the right side.
Rwanda has the world's highest proportion of women in parliament — around 61% of its lower house seats are held by women, more than any other country, a transformation driven after the 1994 genocide decimated the male population.
Kigali serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Rwanda, positioned in Eastern Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Butare, Gisenyi, Ruhengeri — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Kigali is often cited as Africa's cleanest city — a claim backed by a plastic bag ban enforced since 2008, mandatory community clean-up days (umuganda) on the last Saturday of each month, and a government commitment to environmental standards that has made the capital a study site for urban planners from across the continent seeking models of functional governance.
With a population of approximately 13.5M, Rwanda is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Kinyarwanda, French, English, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Rwanda is reached via the dialling code +250. Rwandans rebuilt a society after the 1994 genocide in which 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed in 100 days — the fastest mass killing in recorded history — through gacaca community courts, a deliberate policy of 'Rwandan' rather than ethnic identity, women's leadership (Rwanda has the world's highest proportion of female parliamentarians at 61%), and the Ndi Umunyarwanda programme promoting shared national identity.
Rwanda spans 26,338 km², in the Eastern Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 2.0°S, 30.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Rwandan franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Rwanda's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+02:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football / Cycling holds a special place in the heart of Rwanda's national identity. Football is Rwanda's primary sport, but the country's remarkable success in cycling — Team Rwanda's riders competing in African continental championships and international races since 2007, with Adrien Niyonshuti becoming Rwanda's first Olympian — represents a programme intentionally developed as both sport and symbol of post-genocide national reconstruction.
The highest point in Rwanda is Karisimbi, rising to 4,507 metres above sea level. Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda protects approximately 160 of the world's remaining 1,000 mountain gorillas in the Virunga volcanic chain — Dian Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist research centre at Karisoke (she was murdered there in 1985) makes this the world's most famous gorilla habitat, and gorilla trekking permits costing $1,500 per person fund both conservation and Rwanda's tourism economy.