Geography.
Rwanda is regarded as a mountainous country bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The capital is Kigali, which is near the center of the country. Rwanda is landlocked but has many lakes. Mountains dominate the center and west, while the east consists of savanna, plains, and swamps
Rwanda lies a few degrees south of the Equator and it’s extremely covered by grasslands and small farms extending over rolling hills, with areas of rugged mountains that extend southeast from a chain of volcanoes in the northwest. This is divided between the Congo and Nile drainage systems extends from north to south through western Rwanda at an average elevation of almost 2 750 m. On the western slopes of this ridgeline, the land slopes abruptly toward Lake Kivu, one of the Great Lakes and the Ruzizi River valley, which form the western boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and constitute part of the Great Rift Valley The eastern slopes are more moderate, with rolling hills extending across central uplands at gradually reducing altitudes, to the plains, swamps, and lakes of the eastern border region.
The lowest altitude point in Rwanda is the Ruzizi River, at 950 m, and the highest is Mount Karisimbi, at 4,507 m.
Climate
Rwanda experiences a tropical climate this varies in respect to altitude. The hottest months of the year in Rwanda are November, January and March, temperature rise up to 300 Celsius. The rainy months are April, May, September and December with the wettest month being May. As a result of higher altitude Rwanda experiences more cold weather, the best times are December-March and June-September. The daily temperatures in Rwanda varies from between 21°C and 30°C especially in the mountainous areas they can go down to 10°C in some months
Rwanda’s Attractions
Rwanda is a country well blessed with its natural biodiversity. Her greatest wildlife lies within her 3 National parks of Parc Volcanoes, Nyungwe National park and Akagera National park. Nyungwe, the largest tract of forest, contains 200 species of tree as well as orchids and begonias. Vegetation in the Volcanoes National Park is mostly bamboo and moorland, with small areas of forest. Akagera, by contrast, has a savanna ecosystem in which acacia is the dominant flora. Some plant species are endemic to Akagera.
The greatest diversity of large mammals is found in the three National Parks, which are designated conservation areas. Akagera contains typical savanna animals such as giraffes and elephants, while Volcanoes is home to an estimated one third of the worldwide mountain gorilla population.
Nyungwe Forest boasts thirteen primate species including chimpanzees and Ruwenzori colobus arboreal monkeys, which move in troops of up to 400 individuals. Rwanda brings to record 670 bird species in Rwanda, with variation between the east and the west. Nyungwe Forest, in the west, has 280 recorded species, of which 26 are endemic to the Albertine Rift; endemic species include the Ruwenzori Turaco and Handsome Francolin. Eastern Rwanda, by contrast, features savanna birds such as the Black-headed Gonolek and those associated with swamps and lakes, including storks and Pied Kingfishers. Rwanda boast a diversified range of tourism activities including the most amazing adventure of Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee trekking, Cultural-community visits, Guided nature walks, Dian Fossey visits, genocide tours, Kigali city tour, Game viewing especially in the Nyungwe and Akagera Parks, Bird watching, Mt. Climbing especially Karisimbi and Karisoke among other great safari activities
Political Administration
The government of Rwanda is elected in a multi-party general election. Rwanda elections are normally held every seven years. The current government of Rwanda is led by President Paul Kagame, who was elected in the recently in Late 2017 General Election…
Accommodation in Rwanda
Rwanda provides among the best hotels and accommodation establishments within the East African region. Rwanda’s hotels and Lodge are classified from budget (1 Star Hotels), mid-range (3 Star) and Luxury Hotels (4 Star & 5 Star). A number of lodges, Resorts, apartments, Guest Houses are well established to enable visitors enjoy their stay. Tourists’ pay in US Dollars except for the smaller guesthouses where the local people pay Rwandan Franc are acceptable. Not all of the small town hotels are equipped to take travelers cheques or credit cards so it is best you travel with some cash. Some ‘extra’s’ will be added onto your bill, unlike in Kigali most hotels accept credit cards and Traveler’s cheque and upon use of this method a service charge is always charged.
