Rwanda

A landlocked nation in Africa's Great Rift Valley, Rwanda is where the African Great Lakes area and East Africa meet. Officially known as the Republic of Rwanda, it is the country's capital and largest city. In addition to Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its great elevation has earned it the nickname "land of a thousand hills," and its topography is characterised by mountains in the west and savanna in the east, with several lakes scattered across the nation. There are two wet seasons and two dry seasons per year in this environment, which ranges from moderate to subtropical. Rwanda has a population of approximately 12.6 million people who live on a land area of 26,338 km2 (10,169 sq mi). It is the most densely populated nation on the African continent. Kigali, the country's capital and biggest city, with a population of one million people.

Rwanda's population is youthful and primarily rural; it has one of the world's youngest populations, with an average age of 19 years, making it one of the world's youngest countries. Rwandans are descended from a single cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda, which has existed for thousands of years. Within this group, however, there are three subgroups: the Hutu, the Tutsi, and the Twa (or Twa people). It is often believed that the Twa are descended from Rwanda's early inhabitants, who lived in the forest as pygmy tribesmen . In Rwanda, Christianity is the most widely practised religion. The country's primary language, Kinyarwanda, is spoken by the vast majority of its citizens, with English and French acting as supplementary official languages . The president of Rwanda is Paul Kagame, a member of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), who has held the position since 2000. Rwanda now has minimal levels of corruption as compared to its neighbours, yet human rights organisations have reported persecution of opposition parties, intimidation, and limits on freedom of expression. Since precolonial times, the nation has been ruled by a rigorous administrative hierarchy; the country is divided into five provinces, which were delimited by boundaries created in 2006. Rwanda is one of only three nations on earth with a majority female in the national legislature, the other two being Bolivia and Cuba. Rwanda is also one of only three countries in the world with a female majority in the national parliament.

Rwanda's burgeoning economy suffered greatly as a result of the 1994 genocide, but it has since recovered and become stronger. Subsistence agriculture accounts for the majority of the country's economic activity. The most important cash crops for export are coffee and tea. Tourism is a rapidly expanding industry that has risen to become the country's most important source of foreign currency earnings. Rwanda is one of just two nations in the world where mountain gorillas may be securely seen, and tourists pay a premium amount for gorilla tracking licences in this country. Rwandan culture is characterised by the presence of music and dance, notably the use of drums and the highly choreographed intore dance. Migongo, a unique cow dung art form, is made across the nation. Traditional arts and crafts are also produced throughout the country.

For this, Rwanda has been governed by a unitary presidential administration since 1994, and its bicameral parliament has been managed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front. The nation is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, COMESA, the Organization of African Unity, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the East African Community.