Countries of the World (Africa) - Rwanda
First country in my new geography series (and in Africa). One thing you will notice is I will be starting at different points in each list - I DON'T want this to become an overview of all the "A" countries at the same time (like reading the encyclopedia, for those who remember actually using physical encyclopedias!). Again, I'm going to play with the format on these first few and see what I like, then try to be as consistent with my content going forward as I can.
Jay LeBlanc
12/10/20254 min read
Section I - Basic Info on Rwanda
Official Name: Republic of Rwanda
Population: 13,623,302 (76th largest in the world, 29th largest in Africa)
Area/Size: 10,169 square miles (a little smaller than Massachusetts)
Capital: Kigali (1.3 million - sister city of St. Louis, MO)
Spoken Languages: Kinyarwanda (Bantu), French, English and Swahili (all official)
Religions: Catholic (41%), Protestant (36%), Muslim (5%), indigenous (3%)
Life Expectancy: 66.6 years Internet Access Rate: 34.2%
Per Capita Income: $3,361 Unemployment: 15%
What do they Export?: Precious metals (gold), minerals, coffee, tea, and spices
Export Partners: United Arab Emirates (32%), DR Congo (25%), Thailand (5%)
Import Partners: China (19%), Tanzania (11%), Kenya (10%), UAE (10%)
Government Type: Presidential republic (but no election opposition since 2000)
Section II - Images of Rwanda
6 Key Dates in Rwandan History
Probably no surprise to teachers, but most of the time the "key dates" will drive what the present-day issues are in the country. That is certainly true in Rwanda, where most Americans' knowledge of the country is probably focused on the events around the movie "Hotel Rwanda".
Nov 1884 - at the Berlin Conference, Rwanda is assigned to Germany as part of German East Africa. In the wake of World War I, Rwanda will later (in 1924) be transferred to Belgian control. During this time, the existing hierarchy will remain intact: Tutsi chiefs maintain order over the majority made up of Hutu lower classes.
Jul 1962 - independence for Rwanda and the withdrawal of Belgian troops. Rwanda and Burundi became two separate, independent countries. The Hutu revolution installed a new president in Rwanda, while in Burundi the Tutsis retained power.
Apr 6, 1994 - a plane carrying the leaders of Burundi and Rwanda is destroyed in a rocket attack in Kigali, killing all on board and starting a backlash by the Rwandan Armed Forces and extremist Hutus.
Apr - Jul 1994 - over the course of the following 100 days an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by extremist Hutus. Eventually the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by Paul Kagame (still the leader of Rwanda today), captured Kigali in early July, forcing the Hutu Government to flee to Zaire, followed by a tide of refugees.
1995 - 2015 - over the subsequent 20 years, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and a national-based participatory justice system (known as Gacaca) addressed thousands of war crimes cases. Additionally, in 1999 Rwanda established the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, and in 2001 created a new flag and national anthem.
2012 - present - Rwanda has been accused by the United Nations (and others) of backing a rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the mostly-Tutsi M23 group. As noted in the current events links below, negotiations in 2025 have established a preliminary peace proposal, but the situation is still unsettled as of now.
Other Non-Political Issues
Section III - Issues of Rwanda
General Information on Rwanda:
“All About Rwanda", Africa.com, Jan 2025, https://africa.com/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-rwanda/
“Colors and Contrasts of Rwanda (Slideshow - Discover the country’s unique combination of modernity and heritage)”, National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/slideshow/partner-content-colors-and-contrasts-rwanda
“Rwanda", Wikipedia, Nov 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda or https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
"Rwanda", National Geographic Kids, https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/rwanda
"Visit Rwanda" (national tourism site), Republic of Rwanda, 2025, https://visitrwanda.com/
“The World Factbook - Rwanda", Central Intelligence Agency, Dec 2025, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/rwanda/
History Links on Rwanda:
"How could the Rwandan genocide happen?" (video), BBC News Africa, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVnOGsJY5RQ
"Kigali Genocide Memorial" (official museum), https://kgm.rw/
“Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations” (includes an extensive history of the background of the conflict), United Nations, Apr 2025, https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/index.shtml
“Remembering the Rwandan genocide 30 years on – how did it happen?”, Al-Jazeera, Apr 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/7/30-years-on-what-led-to-the-rwandan-genocide
“Tugire Ubumwe — Let’s Unite!" (a graphic novel produced by the Outreach Programme on the Rwanda Genocide and the United Nations, in collaboration with Rwandan artist and genocide survivor Rupert Bazambanza), United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/graphic-novel.shtml
Current Events Stories on Rwanda:
"Africa’s cynical master of power politics", The Economist, Jun 2025, https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/06/05/africas-cynical-master-of-power-politics
“Africa’s most admired dictator rolls the dice”, The Economist, Jun 2025, https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/06/05/africas-most-admired-dictator-rolls-the-dice
“The gleaming city that emerged from turmoil in the heart of Africa”, CNN, Apr 2021, https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kigali-rwanda-gleaming-city-cmd
“Trump hails 'historic' peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda”, BBC, Dec 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrjn88jqn4o
“What's the fighting in DR Congo all about?", BBC, Dec 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgly1yrd9j3o
Other Interesting Links Related To Rwanda:
“7 Facts That Will Change How You Think About Rwanda”, Butterfield & Robinson, Apr 2022, https://www.butterfield.com/get-inspired/facts-about-rwanda
"Exposing Rwanda Traditional Cuisine" (video), Eating the African Way, Apr 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Z_qrbuoxo
“Rwanda Explained in 10 minutes (History, Geography, & Culture)” (video), Opentiera, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVqm40wcnL4
“Rwanda's Unspoken Rules: Here's What Locals Know” (video), The Adventurous Midlifer", 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrIpAiQ_gfY