Rwanda Overview
Rwanda, just south of the Equator in central Africa, is a mountainous land located with Burundi to the south, Uganda to its north, Tanzania to its east and flanked by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. The total area of Rwanda is 26,338 square kilometers.
State almost literally at the heart or the center of the African continent, Rwanda has much to behold. Just like several other African countries, Rwanda is teeming with African wildlife and wilderness. One of the unique things you will get to do here is see rare mountain gorillas that find their home in bamboo forests. It’s really not just about the safari and savannah here, but of forests as well. There are also a few volcanoes there for exploration. Despite the tragedy that has occurred in this country, the people have become optimistic and remained strong. Indeed, an admirable trait that you will see in the faces of their people.
Geography of Rwanda and Climate of Rwanda
Rwanda: the land of thousand hills: is the 149th country in the world and the 4th smallest in Africa after Gambia, Swaziland, and Djibouti. In size , it can be compared to Burundi, Haiti or Albania. As the country has the mountainous feature: it exists entirely on a high altitude. The lowest point of the country is the Rusizi River at 950 metres (3,117 ft) above sea level. It is a landlocked country in Central Africa bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and Burundi to the south. Kigali is its capital city located in the centre of Rwanda.
The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo, which flows 300 kilometers from its source. In fact it is a real source of Nile. It changes its way at many places and even known in many names at many places. Besides Rwanda has many lakes, the largest being Lake Kivu. It occupies the floor of the Albertine Rift in the western border of Rwanda. You would be surprised to know that, with 480 meters maximum depth , it is one of the deepest lakes in the world. Other sizeable lakes include Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi, Rweru, and Ihema, the last being the largest of a string of lakes in the eastern plains of Akagera National Park.
The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo, which rises in the south-west, flows north, east, and southeast before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera; the Kagera then flows due north along the eastern border with Tanzania. The Nyabarongo-Kagera eventually drains into Lake Victoria, and its source in Nyungwe Forest is a contender for the as-yet undetermined overall source of the Nile. Rwanda has many lakes, the largest being Lake Kivu. This lake occupies the floor of the Albertine Rift along most of the length of Rwanda's western border, and with a maximum depth of 480 metres (1,575 ft), it is one of the twenty deepest lakes in the world. Other sizeable lakes include Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi, Rweru, and Ihema, the last being the largest of a string of lakes in the eastern plains of Akagera National Park.
Lake and Virunga Mountains
Apart from the Gorillas in the Virunga Mountain, Rwanda is best known for for its lakes. It hosts some of the most beautiful and the scenic lakes of the world. Some of the major lakes that Rwanda is famous for include: Lake Kivu, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera, Lake Burera, Lake Muhazi and Lake Ihema out of which Lake Kivu is the biggest of the numerous freshwater bodies. Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate for which the temperature keep on varying in the day time. But the mountainous west and north are generally cooler than the lower-lying east.
Rwanda experiences two rainy seasons that from February to June and the second from September to December and also two dry seasons from September to December and December to February. The pattern of the rainfall varies in different parts of the country and the rain pattern has been changed due to the change in global warming. According to a report by the Strategic Foresight Group, change in climate has reduced the number of rainy days experienced during a year, but has also caused an increase in frequency of torrential rains. Both changes have caused difficulty for farmers, decreasing their productivity. Strategic Foresight also characterize Rwanda as a fast warming country, with an increase in average temperature of between 0.7 C to 0.9 C over fifty years.
History
It is expected that the modern human settlement of what is now Rwanda dates from originates from last glacial period, either in the Neolithic period around 8000 BC, or in the long humid period which followed, up to around 3000 BC. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of sparse settlement by hunter gatherers in the late stone age, followed by a larger population of early Iron Age settlers, who produced dimpled pottery and iron tools. These early inhabitants are expected to be the ancestors of the Twa, aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers who remain in Rwanda today. The history reveals that between 700 BC and 1500 AD, a number of Bantu groups migrated into Rwanda, and habituated clearing forest land for agriculture. The forest-dwelling Twa lost much of their habitat and moved to the mountain slopes.Several theories have been developed on the migration of Bantu class. Many theories have developed regarding the human evolution in Rwanda: one theory is that the first settlers were Hutu, while the Tutsi migrated later to form a distinct racial group. Some of the theory reveals that the incoming groups migration remained very slow and the groups put more emphasis on integrating rather than conquering the new land.
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