22 interesting facts about Rwanda

The tiny state of Rwanda, located in East Africa, is going through hard times, and for a long time, since moment of colonization. Of course, now the state is independent, but this does not save it from numerous problems, which, unfortunately, are typical for most African countries.

Facts about Rwanda

1. The population of the region is 12.95 million people.
2. Here is Lake Kivu, notable for being the only lake on the entire mainland where crocodiles are not found (interesting facts about lakes).
3. In poor countries, often the lion’s share of the population lives in the capital, but in Rwanda this is not at all – here in Kigali, the capital, only about 10% of all Rwandans live.
4. There are as many as three official languages ​​- English, French and Kinyarwanda. In practice, it turns out that almost no one owns the first two.
5. The lands here, unlike most African countries, are very fertile. More than half of Rwanda’s territory is used for agriculture. True, the country is still in poverty.
6. The capital of the country, the city of Kigali, was founded by the Germans. This happened more than a century ago, but still Kigali is a young city.
7. Other Rwandans include representatives of the Tutsi people. They are the tallest people on the planet, even higher than the Montenegrins. Of course, there are short people here, but the average height here is really impressive.
8. Nine-tenths of all working people in the country are employed in agriculture.
9. The only land transport in Rwanda is cars, buses, motorcycles and minibuses. Unfortunately, no railroads were brought here.
10. Due to the whimsical relief, Rwanda has earned the nickname «Land of a thousand hills». Well, why not? They call Thailand the «Land of Smiles».
11. It rains here surprisingly often, given that this is Africa. So the locals have no problems with fresh water.
12. Local wines and beers are made from bananas. Drinks, it should be noted, are quite specific.
13. The Rwandan government cares about the environment. As in the USA, plastic bags are banned here (interesting facts about the USA).
14. Eating in public is not accepted here. The locals believe that this is indecent, so Rwandans usually eat behind closed doors.
15. There are more women than men in the Rwandan parliament. The fight for equality has been going on here for a long time, and quite successfully.
16. In 2015, the local government entered the top ten most effective state apparatuses in the world. By the way, the president personally swept the streets once a week, setting an example for the rest of the citizens.
17. Every fifth inhabitant of the country is not literate.
18. Rwanda spends four times more on imports than it earns on exports.
19. More than half of Rwandans live in poverty.
20. There is one TV channel and one radio station. Both are state-owned.
21. About 95% of the inhabitants of Rwanda profess Christianity.
22. Life expectancy here is one of the lowest in the world. The main reason for this is the inaccessibility of medical services.