Rwanda Facts for Kids: Geography, Wildlife and Culture

These Rwanda facts for kids were chosen and researched especially for kids to get more insights into this beautiful country in East Africa.

Impressions: Kigali - Mountain Gorilla - Rolling hills

What you will find on our Rwanda Facts page:

Snapshot
Basic Facts
Map
Geography
Geo Superlatives
Landmarks

People & Culture
Language
Economy
Animals
Food
FAQs

Rwanda - Snapshot

Name: Republic of Rwanda
Population: About 14 million people (2026)
Capital: Kigali
Official Language: Kinyarwanda
Climate: tropical

Currency: Rwandan franc (RWF)
Highest mountain: Karisimbi
Time zone: Central African Time (UTC+2)
Calling code: +25
Internet code: .rw

Landlocked country in East Africa which is home to the mountain gorillas
Cultural tradition: agaseke (basket weaving), umuganda (community service)

Latest update: 24 July 2026 - sources: VisitRwanda/ NISR

Interesting Rwanda Facts for Kids

Rwandan symbols: Agaseke, flag, African leopard

Continent: Africa
Name: Republic of Rwanda
Area: 26,338 km² or 10,169 sq mi
Population: About 14 million people (2026)
Capital: Kigali with about 2 million people
Nickname: "Land of a Thousand Hills"
Border countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Rwanda anthem

Government: semi-presidential republic with an authoritarian leader
Literacy Rate: 79% of all Rwandans 15 years and older can read and write
Official Language: Kinyarwanda, English, French and Swahili
Religion: about 90% Christians
Official Currency: Rwandan franc (RWF)
Unemployment: 15% of the people
Poverty Rate: 27%
Independence Day: 1 July

National Symbols: Flag, emblem and the African leopard is widely recognised as national animal
National Colours: blue, yellow and green
Anthem: "Rwanda nziza" (Beautiful Rwanda)
Motto: "Unity, Work, Patriotism"
History: Rwanda was once ruled by kings, called mwamis, in the 14th to 16th century. During the colonial period in the late 1800s, Germany and later Belgium took control of the country. Rwanda became an independent nation in 1962. In 1994, the Rwandan Genocide took place, during which around 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis and some moderate Hutus, were killed in about 100 days. After this terrible event, Rwanda worked very hard to rebuild the country and promote peace and unity. Today Rwanda is one of Africa's fastest-growing countries and is known for its safety, cleanliness and conservation efforts.
President: Paul Kagame rules the country since 2000.

Sources: Rwanda Statistical Yearbook 2025, NISR - July 2026

Rwanda

Rwanda Map
Where is Rwanda?

Rwanda is located in East Africa and borders four countries: Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) as you can see on the map.

Rwanda Physical Map - AI created by Shutterstock.com Great Rift Valley - Albertine Rift

Rwanda is often called "the land of a thousand hills" because almost the entire country is covered in rolling hills. This is how the landscape of the central region around Gitarama looks like.

Rwandan landscape around Gitarama - image by Sam Ngenda

The capital city Kigali also is located pretty central in Rwanda and the city center is situated on a hilltop.

Kigali is known as one of the foremost technology and services hubs in Africa.

Kigali Business District

The dense rainforests of the Virunga Mountains are found in the northwestern region of the country. This is where Volcanoes National Park with its famous inhabitants, the Mountain Gorillas, is located.

Rwanda houses five volcanoes along the country's northern border and more than 20 lakes and rivers, some of them are known for being the source of the River Nile.

River in Rwanda

Although Rwanda is a small country, it is known as one of Africa's cleanest, safest and fastest-developing countries!

Rwanda is the fourth smallest nation on the African mainland and about the same size as Albania or Haiti or the U.S. state of Maryland or slightly smaller than Wales/ UK.

A flight from London/ England to Kigali takes a bit less than nine hours on a direct flight and a flight from New York/ USA takes about 17 hours (no direct flights).

Rwanda Facts for Kids:
Rwanda Geography

Rwanda is one of the landlocked countries in east central Africa. Rwanda has both tropical forests and grasslands.

Much of the country lies on high plateaus and has an average elevation of about 1,500 m/ 4,921 ft above sea level, making it much cooler than many countries near the Equator.

Did you know?

The name "Rwanda" stems from the local word Ku-aanda, which means "spreading out from the centre" and reflects on the growth of the Kingdom of Rwanda.
The nickname "Land of a Thousand Hills" was given as the country is covered in rolling green hills, steep valleys, and volcanic mountains.

Rwanda, the land of thousand hills

Rwanda has four national parks and reserves, these are Akagera, Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks. The west of Rwanda forms a branch of the Great Rift Valley known as the Albertine Rift. Lake Kivu is in this major rift valley.

Rural Rwandan landscape

Only about 12% of the country are covered by natural forest. (Rwanda Statistical Yearbook 2025)

Climate

The country lies close to the Equator and has a tropical highland climate. However, the temperatures are colder than those in other equatorial regions due to the high elevation.

The months of the two rainy seasons between February and June as well as between September and December are very humid. The capital city Kigali in the center of the country has temperatures between 15 and 28 °C (59 and 82 °F) all year round.

There is a high risk of malaria in Rwanda especially in the western and northern highlands.

Akagera National Park

Rwanda Facts
Geo Superlatives

Rwanda might be small, but it holds some truly impressive geographical records! These geo superlatives show the country's unique physical geography:

Kigali

Kigali is one of the highest capitals in Africa sitting at an elevation of 1,567 m/ 5,141 ft.
Kigali is considered one of Africa's cleanest capital cities. Since 2008, plastic shopping bags have been banned in the country which helps to keep streets and parks clean and there are monthly community clean-up meetings.
The lowest point is the Rusizi River at 950 m/ 3,117 ft above sea level.
Mount Karisimbi is the highest point in the country with 4,507 m/ 14,787 ft and a dormant stratovolcano sitting on the border between Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Mount Karisimbi

Despite its small size, Rwanda has over twenty lakes and dozens of rivers. The longest river is the Nyabarongo River that flows through central Rwanda and is the longest river that is entirely in the country.
The largest lake in Rwanda is Lake Kivu, this is also one of the deepest lakes of the continent. Lake Kivu is located on the western border with the DRC and is one of Africa's Great Lakes.

Did you know?

Lake Kivu's deep water holds dissolved carbon dioxide and also methane gas. Thus scientists monitor the lake closely because a sudden release of gas could be deadly!
However, engineers have found a way to safely extract the methane and use it to generate electricity for Rwanda.

Lake Kivu - image by Sam Ngenda

Akagera is the largest national park in Rwanda and houses the Big Five animals of the African continent
Nyungwe Forest in southwestern Rwanda is one of Africa's oldest rainforests and one of the best preserved mountain forests in the world.
Rwanda has the highest percentages of women serving in parliament worldwide with 64% seats for women. - Source: UNWomen.org 11.03.2026

Rwanda Facts for Kids
Landmarks and Attractions

This is a fabulous intro to the country presented by Visit Rwanda:

As you have seen, Rwanda has many rolling hills, volcanoes, lakes and forests that make it one of Africa's most scenic countries. Here are some more images of the most important landmarks and attractions of this country.

Volcanoes National Park

Giraffe in Akagera National Park

Canopy Walkway in Nyungwe Forest

Reconstruction of the King's Palace in Nyanza - shaped like a beehive

Kigali Genocide Memorial ed Oscar Espinosa

Kigali Genocide Memorial - image by Oscar Espinosa/ Shutterstock.com

rwanda kigali convention centre Andreas marquart ssk

Kigali Convention Center at night - image by Andreas Marquart/ Shutterstock.com

Rwanda Facts for Kids
Rwandan People

Rwanda has a population of about 14 million people and the country is densely populated. The people call themselves Banyarwanda and include Hutu, Tutsi and Twa people.

Rwanda is a young country with about half the population under 20 years old and this is East Africa's most densely populated country with a population of about 445 people per square kilometre. (NISR 2026)

Most of the Rwandan people live in rural areas (about 70%). The largest urban centres are Kigali, Rubavu and Nyagatare.

Women working on the tea plantations in Rwanda

In the countryside, more than 80% of village leaders are still men. However, Rwanda is well known for giving women many opportunities. Many women have important leadership roles especially in government and in large companies, and Rwanda is known internationally for its strong focus on gender equality.

Music, dancing and storytelling are still important traditions in Rwandan culture. Respect for elders is an important cultural value and there are many traditional festivals. Umuganura is the main harvest festival.

Another unique tradition is Kwita Izina which is Rwanda's famous gorilla naming ceremony that takes place once a year. During this festival, newborn mountain gorillas are each given a unique name in a special conservation ceremony as explained in this short video:

Community service days are held every month and are to be attended by all residents.

Did you know?

On the last Saturday of every month, many people join a nationwide community clean-up called Umuganda.

Traditional arts include drumming, traditional dancing and storytelling and remain as important in Rwandan culture as modern culture.

Basket weaving is a respected craft. The woven Agaseke baskets are popular souvenirs.

Traditions Agaseke Baskets

Football is the most popular sport in Rwanda and Basketball is popular with young people too.

Fascinating Rwanda!
Language Facts

Kinyarwanda is spoken by almost everyone in Rwanda. This is one of the few African countries where nearly the entire population shares one native language.

English and French are widely taught in schools while Swahili is increasingly used in business.

Facts about Rwanda
Economy

Rwanda's economy has grown significantly in the last twenty years. The country's most important economic sectors are now technology, services and tourism and agriculture. Mining and agriculture are also big economic sectors.

Rwandan market - image by Omri Eliyahu/ Shutterstock.com

Although most people still work in agriculture, more and more people work in the services industry such as the tourism, banking and insurance sectors.

Did you know?

Coffee and tea are Rwanda's two most valuable crops.
Cassava, tomatoes, onions, cabbage and fruit as well as maize (corn), wheat and rice are also among the major export crops.

Tea plantations in Rwanda

Among the major mineral resources of Rwanda are tin, tungsten and tantalum.

The national airline is RwandAir. It is ranked highly as major African airline and has routes across Africa, Europe and Asia.

RwandAir - image by Markus Mainka/ shutterstock.com

Raising the living standards of the people is one of the main target of the government. The government invests heavily in education and supports Kigali in becoming the technology hub in Africa.

Kigali Business District - image by Jennifer Sophie/ Shutterstock.com

Kigali aims to attract tech companies and start-ups with its innovation center. Kigali is today a popular location for international conferences, and popular not only in the tourism sector.

Here a fabulous and very interesting short overview of Rwanda also for great for students - Film by the government initiative "Invest in Rwanda":

Rwanda Facts
Animals in Rwanda

Rwanda is famous as one of Africa's top wildlife destinations and the country is known for its major conservation projects. Rwanda protects many endangered animals in its forests and national parks.

The open savannahs, rolling hills and misty mountain forests provide a variety of animal habitats. There are over 200 species of mammals in the country including chimpanzees, golden monkeys, hippopotamus, antelopes and zebras and over 700 bird species such as the colourful sunbirds.

Sunbird

Rwanda’s national animal is the African leopard which is only found in the savannah of Northeastern Rwanda, in Akagera National Park.

Can you spot the leopard?

Lions and black rhino have been successfully reintroduced to Akagera as well. Akagera is located about three hours northeast of the capital city Kigali and is also the home of Africa's fascinating "Big Five" animals.

Rhinos in Akagera National Park - image by Sam Ngenda

However, the country is most famous for its mountain gorillas. Rwanda is one of only three countries where the endangered mountain gorillas live in the wild. About half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas live in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Permits to trek mountain gorillas are among the most expensive wildlife experiences in the world!

rwanda volcanoes national park gorillas sam ngenda

Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park - image by Sam Ngenda

Did you know?

A single permit to trek mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park can cost visitors well over a thousand US dollars.
This fee funds conservation efforts and supports communities, schools, health centres and infrastructure in the area.
It is an incentive to protect the gorillas and their habitat.

Rwanda Facts for Kids
Rwandan Food

Most traditional Rwandan meals are made from fresh local ingredients that are grown on family farms.

The staple foods in Rwanda are beans, bananas, maize (corn), cassava and sweet potatoes.

Vegetables in Rwanda

Goat meat is commonly eaten and fresh tropical fruits including mangoes, papayas and avocados are available too.

Rwanda's coffee is exported around the world and is famous for its rich flavour.

Ripe coffee cherries

Did you know?

The ripe fruits of the coffee plants are called cherries.
It takes about eight months for the fruit to ripen and turn red.
Coffee beans are the seeds inside the fruit.

Among the most commonly eaten dishes in Rwanda are:

ugali: thick maize porridge is served with many meals and a staple dish
brochettes: These grilled meat skewers are a popular snack
isombe: vegetable stew made with mashed cassava leaves, onions, tomatoes and often peanut butter. The green leaves turn the stew bright green.
matoke: these are starchy green plantains that are cooked or baked until they are soft
mandazi: fried dough balls eaten as a snack, similar to a donut

Rwanda Facts
FAQs

What is the capital city of Rwanda?

The capital city of Rwanda is Kigali.

Why is Rwanda called the "Land of a Thousand Hills"?

Rwanda's landscape is covered with many rolling hills and mountains.

Which lake lies along Rwanda's western border?

Lake Kivu, Rwanda's largest lake lies along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

What is Rwanda's highest mountain?

Mount Karisimbi is Rwanda's highest mountain reaching 4,507 m/ 14,787 ft.

Which endangered animal is Rwanda famous for protecting?

Rwanda is famous for its successful gorilla conservation programmes. The rare and endangered mountain gorilla live in Volcanoes National Park.

Which is Rwanda's most famous export crop?

Coffee is the most famous crop. There are many plantations in the fertile highlands and Rwandan coffee beans are exported around the world.

Rwanda Facts For Kids
Resources

Republic of Rwanda. "About Rwanda." Gov.rw. Last accessed 24 July 2026
Rwanda Statistical Yearbook. Last accessed 24 July 2026
National Institute for Statistics of Rwanda. "Population size and Population characteristics". NISR. Last accessed 24 July 2026
Rwanda Development Board. "Plastic Ban." VisitRwanda. Last accessed 24 July 2026

We hope you enjoyed our Rwanda Facts for kids and will visit again.

Rwanda Facts for Kids - Image Credits: own images and Sam Ngenda, Oscar Spinoza, Markus Maintz/ all at shutterstock.com

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