As the President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda pays an official two-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman on Monday, we look about some of the interesting facts about this African country.
The Land of a Thousand Hills Characterized by its hilly and mountainous terrain, Rwanda got this nickname for good reason. Rwanda’s elevation spans between the Rusizi River at 950 m above sea level to the peak of Mount Karisimbi at 4,507 m above sea level. There are 374 named mountains in Rwanda
Endangered mountain gorillas. The Virunga Mountains that line the northern border of Rwanda are made up of eight major volcanoes. More than half of the population of remaining mountain gorillas live in these mountains. Thanks to conservation efforts, the mountain gorillas have increased in number in recent years. Less than 100 tourists a day are allowed to take part in the gorilla tracking, the costs for which are more than $1000.
Rwanda is ranked among the cleanest places in the world with public spaces are always remarkably clean and. That is partly due to the ban on plastic bags in the country from 2008. Upon entering the country, your luggage will be checked by officials and you will be asked to remove any plastic bags that you might have.
With over 60% of its parliament members being female, Rwanda has the highest percentage of women in the parliament in the world.
Every last Saturday of every month from 8am to 11am people nationwide participate in community projects. It's known as Umuganda and its mandatory. People all over the country take part in cleaning the streets, helping to build schools, cutting grass, etc.
Before Rwanda became part of the Belgian Empire after WWI, it was part of Germany, together with Tanzania.
The average population density is estimated at 274.6 people per square kilometer, which makes it the most densely populated countries in Africa.
The official languages of Rwanda are French, English, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.
Car-free days: To promote healthy living and sustainability, Rwanda implements a car-free day each month. On these days the streets of Rwanda fill up with people running, biking, roller skating or any other other type of outdoor sports. Car Free Days are highly anticipated among Kigali residents as it offers a safe way to socialize and get active outdoors.
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