Down towards the eastern reaches of Africa, you’ll find Rwanda – a small but fascinating country that deserves a little more attention! Here are some fun facts about Rwanda to help clue you in on a little more about the nations of the world.
1. Rwanda is pretty much surrounded.
Rwanda has neighbouring countries in the shape of Burundi, DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), Tanzania and Uganda. It’s pretty much surrounded, and it’s a landlocked nation.
2. Here’s the latitude and longitude.
If you want to find Rwanda on the map with the use of a compass, you’ll need to use the co-ordinates 1.9403° S, 29.8739°. Useful for traveling by boat or by air!
3. Rwanda is well known for its mountainscape.
Rwanda is a very hilly country – with plenty of mountainous reaches. However, much of the terrain is also replete with grassland.
4. As a country, it’s absolutely packed.
Rwanda has the distinction of being Africa’s most densely populated nation. It’s home to more than 13.78 million people (2022), and measures around 26,338 square km (that’s 10,169 square miles). It’s a bit of a squeeze, to say the least!
5. The weather’s lovely out here!
Rwanda’s climate is actually fairly temperate – it has two main rainy seasons, and you’ll likely witness them from late fall to early spring.
6. You might even be able to make a snowman in Rwanda!
It snows in Rwanda – honestly! You’ll need to be up in the famous mountains to experience some of the frost and drift, however.
7. It has a hilly nickname, too!
Rwanda’s mountainous fame has earned the country a nickname. It’s known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’!
8. It’s a nation of polyglots!
The people of Rwanda speak a variety of different languages. You’ll mainly find citizens speak Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili and French – however, many people in Rwanda speak English, too.
9. Women lead the way in Rwanda.
Rwanda was the first country on the planet to have a parliament made up of female politicians in the majority. How’s that for tightening the gender gap?
10. They have varied exports and industries.
Rwanda is well-known for growing bananas, coffee and tea – though it famously exports tin ore and has a strong tourism sector, too.
11. Be sure to change up your money before visiting.
The main currency in use in Rwanda is the Rwandan Franc.
12. Cleanliness is golden!
Rwandans are very particular about being clean and curbing waste as much as possible. For example, did you know that the people of Kigali have to support cleaning their community once a month? This normally takes place on the last Saturday.
13. You’ll never find a plastic bag in Rwanda.
Interestingly, Rwanda has a nationwide ban on plastic bags – now if only more nations would follow suit!
14. Life expectancy isn’t bad at all!
People in Rwanda generally expect to live to 69 years of age – not a bad innings at all!
15. Keep this number handy.
If you want to get in touch with people in Rwanda via phone, you’ll need to use the dialing code +250.
16. What is the capital of Rwanda?
Rwanda’s capital city is Kigali – and more than 850,000 people call it home! It covers a land area of 730 square km, or 281.8 square miles!
FAQs about Rwanda
Is Rwanda a poor country?
Unfortunately, yes - Rwanda struggles with poverty thanks to a number of issues in its recent history - such as war in the early 1990s. Much of the country only lives on a few dollars per day.
What is Rwanda most famous for?
Rwanda is arguably best known for its incredible mountainscapes - its incredible scenery really is something to behold.
What is Rwanda’s main religion?
The main religion followed in Rwanda is, by and large, Roman Catholicism. It’s thought that around two-thirds of the population are Roman Catholic, while a quarter are said to hold beliefs that are indigenous to the nation. A minority of the population follow Islam.
Do you know any interesting facts about Rwanda? Share them in the comments below!
