Located in East Africa, Rwanda is a rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in agriculture. Products include coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes, and livestock. The beautiful terrain is mostly grassy uplands and hills with the relief of mountains.

Landlocked Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. Natural resources include gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, and hydropower. Industries include cement, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, and cigarettes.

Rwanda is a former Belgian territory, French and English are official languages. Over half the population is Roman Catholic with Protestants accounting for one quarter. The legal system and government are based on German and Belgian civil law.

Geography

Rwanda is a landlocked republic in Equatorial Africa, situated on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift, a western arm of the Great Rift Valley, on the watershed between Africa's two largest river systems: the Nile and the Congo. Much of the country's 26,338 km2 is impressively mountainous, the highest peak being Karisimbi (4,507m) in the volcanic Virunga chain protected by the Volcanoes National Park. The largest body of water is Lake Kivu, but there are others numerous lakes around the country, notably Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi and Mugesera, some of which have erratic shapes following the contours of the steep mountains that enclose them.

Economy

Primarily a subsistence agriculture economy, Rwanda nonetheless produces for export some of the finest tea and coffee in the world. Other industries include sugar, fishing and flowers for export. For more information about Rwanda's economy and investment opportunities available in Rwanda: Economy and Investment

Travel Guide

"Rwanda: the Bradt Travel Guide"
By Janice Booth & Philip Briggs

This comprehensive guide (published in March 2004, price £13.95/US$21.95) covers Rwanda's wildlife, history and culture as well as practicalities such as travel, cost and accommodation - and, of course, how to visit the mountain gorillas.

It can be ordered from main bookshops in many countries worldwide, from internet booksellers such as Amazon, from the Bradt Travel Guides website www.bradtguides.com, and and direct from the Bradt Travel Guides UK office: Tel: 01753 893444 ; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORTPN - Contact Details

Office Rwandaise du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN)/
The Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks
Boulevard de la Révolution n° 1
PO Box 905 Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: (250) 576514 or 573396, Fax: (250) 576515
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information please e-mail us here