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Rwanda, Land of Thousand Hills has more to offer then their famous gorillas.
Its nature is amazing and so is its cultural heritage.
And traveling in Rwanda does not need to be expensive.
Rwanda, in east-central Africa, is surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi.
It is slightly smaller than Maryland.
Steep mountains and deep valleys cover most of the country.
Lake Kivu in the northwest, at an altitude of 4,829 ft (1,472 m), is the highest lake in Africa.
Extending north of it are the Virunga Mountains, which include the volcano Karisimbi (14,187 ft; 4,324 m), Rwanda's highest point.
COUNTRY QUICK FACTS
Name: Republic of Rwanda. It borders Uganda to the North, Tanzania to the East, Burundi to the
South and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the West.
Time: +2 GMT.
Size: 26, 338 KM sq. Roughly the size of Maryland
Geography: Rwanda is a landlocked republic in Equatorial Africa, situated on the eastern rim of
the Albertine Rift, a western arm of the Great Rift Valley, on the watershed between Africa's two
largest river systems: the Nile and the Congo. Much of the country's 26,338 km is impressively mountainous, the highest peak being Karisimbi (4,507m) in the volcanic Virunga chain
protected by the Parc des Volcans. The largest body of water is Lake Kivu, but numerous other
lakes are dotted around the country, notably Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi and Mugesera, some of which have erratic shapes following the contours of the steep mountains that enclose them.
 Climate: Rwanda has a temperate climate with temperatures of 25-30°C during the day; 15° at
night throughout the year. Nights can be chilly in Nyungwe and the Virungas. Most parts of the Country receive in excess of 1,000 mm of rainfall.
Rwanda experiences two rainy seasons- the long rains between February to June and the short
rains between mid-September to mid-December. Dry months are January, July, and August to mid-September. The country can be visited throughout the year.
Population: Around 8 million.
Currency: The unit of currency is the Rwanda Franc in both coin and paper denominations.
Currency exchange service is available in most banks, bureaux de change and hotels. Hotel Des
Mille Collines, Kigali Intercontinental, Novotel Umubano and Kenya Airways accept internationally
recognized credit cards. Traveler's checks are not readily acceptable however popular brands in US-Dollars can be exchanged in the banks.
Holders of American Express credit cards can withdraw money from BCDI headquarters.
Languages:
English, French, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda. French, English and Kinyarwanda are the official languages. French is widely
spoken throughout the country. In most tourist centers, English is spoken.
Public Holidays:
In addition to the public holidays below, Good Friday and Easter Monday, the following public holidays are recognized.
 1 January - New Year
28 January - Democracy Day
7 April - Genocide Memorial Day
1 May - Labour Day
1 July - Independence Day
4 July - National Liberation Day
1 August - Harvest Festival
15 August - Assumption Day
8 September - Culture Day
25 September - Republic Day
1 October - Heroes Day
1 November - All Saints Day
25 December - Christmas Day
26 December - Boxing Day
Electricity: 230/240 volts at 50 Hz.
Banking:
Banks are open from 8 am-5 PM on weekdays with a lunch break between 12 noon and 2 PM; 8 am-12 noon on Saturdays.
Economy:
Primarily a subsistence agriculture economy, Rwanda nonetheless produces for export some of the finest tea and coffee in the
world. Other industries include sugar, fishing and cut flowers for export.
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