Introduction to Rwanda
From Never Again
Rwanda is a small land locked country situated in central Africa. It is popularly known as “the land of a thousand hills”. The physical beauty of this land is characterized by volcanoes and dense tropical forests in the north while gentle hills, valleys, calm lakes and a variety of rivers in both savannah and dense tropical vegetation dominate the rest of the country. Rwanda lies 75 miles south of the equator in the Tropic of Capricorn, 880 miles “as the crow flies” west of the Indian Ocean and 1,250 miles east of the Atlantic Ocean – literally in the heart of Africa. Rwanda borders Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The Republic of Rwanda comprises twelve (12) Provinces and one hundred and six (106) Districts and Municipalities.1 Rwanda has the highest population density than any country in Africa (with a gross population density of 308 inhabitants per km2 and a physiologic density of 435 inhabitants per km2).2 Official statistics indicate that the current level of illiteracy in the country is 48%.3 Combined with low fertility soils, small plots of land 0.5 ha for agriculture, scarce vegetation cover and climate change, this has created danger to the biodiversity and ecological stability of the country. Unsustainable use of natural resources such as wood biomass and poor agricultural practices deteriorate the country's environment rapidly. Similarly failure to harness the available human resource especially the youth can lead to catastrophic consequences.
