Rwanda is a landlocked nation located in Central Africa and bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.

1. Capital: Kigali
2. Government: republic, presidential, multiparty system
3. Population: approximately 8 million
4. Currency: Rwandan Franc (RWF)
5. Exchange Rate: Rwandan francs per US dollar - 560 (2006)
6. Official Language: Kinyarwanda, French, and English
7. Contains world's only surviving population of mountain gorillas

Despite its small size, Rwanda supports the densest population of any nation in Africa. The nation achieved its independence from Belgium in 1962; three years prior, in 1959 the majority ethnic group, the Hutu, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Afterwards, many Tutsi formed a rebel group known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front and periodic unrest plagued the small nation. In 1994, triggered by the shooting down of a jet carrying the Hutu President, Hutu militias engaged in a systematic genocide of all Tutsi and moderate Hutus in the country, killing over 800,000 in the process. After the genocide, Tutsi militias fought back and installed a Tutsi President, Paul Kagame.

• Wikipedia: Political Parties in Rwanda

• Mahalo's Page on The Rwandan Genocide

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  Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

• Wikipedia: Geography of Rwanda

• Google Image Search: Rwanda Maps

• World Atlas: Maps of Rwanda

• Mahalo's page on Kigali City

• Rwanda Gateway: Culture and Society

• Rwanda Tourism: Traditions of Rwanda

• Wonder Africa.com: Rwanda Culture

• Africa Travelling: Rwanda Culture

• Wikipedia: Demographics of Rwanda

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