About Rwanda
ABOUT RWANDA
Famed as the “land of a thousand hills”, Rwanda is a dumbfounding land-clocked country that boasts of magical experiences to travellers who visit her. This small country is popular for its jaw-dropping sceneries, incredible wildlife species, wide array of birds, diverse history and culture and most excitingly its warm and friendly people.
Location and size of Rwanda
Set in East-Central Africa, Rwanda is undeniably beautiful and therefore a force for reckon with, especially for travellers looking to experience something magical and exceptional from the usual. It covers a total surface Area of about 10,169 square miles, making it the 149th largest country in the World, the 4th smallest in the Continent’s mainland (after the likes of Gambia, Djibouti and Eswatini). The size of this country can be compared with its immediate neighbor in the south (Burundi) or Albania and Haiti.
Its largest and Capital City (Kigali) is located at the heart of the country, on the mighty River Ruganwa. Besides Burundi, the beautiful Rwanda is also bordered by Tanzania in the East, Uganda in the north and the Democratic Republic of Uganda in the west
Geography of Rwanda
Between the Northern and southern borders of Rwanda is the watershed between the main Congo basin and the Nile drainage basin, accounting for over 80% of this country’s area that drains into the Nile River while the remaining area drains into Congo basin visa Lake Tanganyika and River Rusizi.
River Nyabarongo is so far the longest in Rwanda with its source in the south-western Part, draining in the north, East and southwest prior to joining with Ruvubu where it then becomes Kagera, draining along the Eastern boundary with neighboring Tanzania. There are a number of beautiful Lakes in this country but Kivu is so far the largest and occupies the Albertine Rift Valley along the western border with DRC. Interestingly, Lake Kivu is the 18th deepest Lake in the World but other significant ones are Ihema, Burera, Muhazi and Ruhondo Lakes.
The western and central parts of Rwanda are marked by mountains and hills, thus giving birth to the name “land of a thousand hills”. Most of these mountains are part of the extensive Virunga massif that extends between the northern and southern parts along the western border of the country. We can authoritatively say that most of the country is at high elevation with Mount Karisimbi being the highest point at 4507 meters above sea level while River Rusizi is the lowest point at 950 meters above sea level. The western part of Rwanda sits within the Albertine Rift montane forests Eco region between 1500 and 2500 meters above sea, while the eastern side is dominated by savannah grasslands, plains and swamps (it is where Akagera National Park is found) and the Central part is mainly marked by rolling hills.
Climate of Rwanda
This country is characterized by a temperate Tropical highland climate, with temperatures being incredibly lower than other Equatorial countries, owing to its high altitudes. Expect between 12˚C and 27˚C in Kigali City although little changes happen throughout the Year.
Population
According to the 2019 estimate, Rwanda has about 12,374,397 people, of which about one million live in the Capital. Of this population, 85% are the Hutu, 14% are the Tutsi, 1% are the Twa while other people make up just 1% of Rwanda.
Outstanding flora and fauna of Rwanda
The shores of Lake Kivu are blanketed by a verdant Mediterranean type of vegetation, that stand in sheer disparity with the papyrus swamps found in the Eastern border as well as the thick bamboo forests of Virunga Mountains in the northern end. On the slopes of these Volcanoes live the endangered Mountain gorillas protected within Volcanoes National Park. For the plethora of wildlife species, no place beats Akagera National Park where the big five (lions, Rhinos, Cape buffaloes, leopards and elephants, zebras, Olive baboons, common warthogs, impalas, Topis, Hippos, giraffes and many others are found. Pure montane forest is found in Nyungwe Forest National Park and is haven to the highest concentration of primates in the country.
Currency
Rwandan Franc is the local currency, despite the fact that other foreign currencies, especially US Dollars are accepted in Hotels, paying for tourist activities and upmarket supermarkets. Cash (especially in the local currency) is required when paying for local services. When it comes to payment methods, several places accept credit and debit cards preferring Visas to MasterCard.
How to get there and around
Air is the main means of getting from Rwanda, via Kigali International Airport although travellers from neighboring countries can access this country via its land borders. For getting around, the country boasts of tarred rods for connecting to major Towns while smaller roads are normally unsurfaced thus rarely used during wet season.
The best way for travellers is using private 4WD Cars, organized from Tour Operators or Car Rental Agencies. Also, motorbike taxis are common although don’t offer travel insurance.
Immigration and Visa procedures
Citizens of all countries are issued visas on arrival at Kigali International Airport and all land borders. Single entry tourist visas cost $50 valid for 30 days, single entry conference visas cost $30 valid for 30 days, multiple entry business visas cost $50 valid for 12 months while the East African tourist visa allowing entry into Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya cost $100 valid for 3 months.
Applicants of Rwandan visas are required to possess passports with validity of at least 6 months to the date of entry into the country.
Official languages
There are presently four official languages in Rwanda-Kinyarwanda, French, English and Swahili.
Time zone and best time to visit
The Time Zone of Uganda is UTC+2 (CAT) and white it can be explored all year round, the temperatures are warm and more friendly during the dry season-December to February and June to September.