Rwanda: The Land of a Thousand Hills
Welcome to Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills! Rwanda is a land-locked state in central Africa with a beautiful and hilly countryside. While the modern state of Rwanda has only emerged in the 20th century, the Rwandan people have a rich history and tradition that goes back more than 500 years.
Rwanda Today
In the 13 years since the genocide, much has happened in Rwanda that offers signs of hope. A new version of the traditional justice system of the Gacaca courts has begun the healing process. In these trials the accused perpetrator is brought before the whole community and a ruling is passed with communal input. There are many acts of incredible forgiveness everyday as this people tries to bring their country back together.
However, Rwanda is still in a very challenging situation. After the genocide, Rwanda fought in two wars and endured some continuing internal conflict. Political freedoms are limited. In spite of progress being made in neighboring Burundi, another nation that has struggled with Hutu and Tutsi ethnic strife, the central African region remains somewhat unstable. Armed militias still exist in parts of the surrounding area. Moreover, the economy of Rwanda continues to struggle with tea and coffee being among the nation’s only exports.
Although international attention has moved on from Rwanda to other global conflicts such as the Darfur region of Sudan, and Iraq, much remains to be done in this country that has suffered so much in recent years.
Facts and Figures
Rwanda today has almost 10 million citizens and a national area of only 16,366 miles. For an understanding of what that means, imagine all of the people who live in Michigan being squished into a state the size of Maryland. With so many people in a relatively small space, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa.
An average life expectancy in Rwanda is only 48.99 years. In the USA the average life expectancy is 77.9 years, nearly three decades longer
An adult Rwandan working full-time can expect to make $250. In the United States an adult male can expect to make an average of $34,048 in a single year. The average Rwandan would have to work 136 years to make the average Americans yearly salary.
More than half of all Rwandans are Catholics and 93% of Rwandans are Christians.
On the look out at WYD!
When you get to World Youth Day be on the look out for…
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The Rwandan Flag - People speaking Kinyarwanda, French, English, or Swahili (the four most common languages in Rwanda)
- And listen for Ikinimba, the traditional music of Rwanda.