Rwanda National Parks
Mountain gorillas are by far Rwanda 's major international attraction. After the release of the feature film Gorillas In The Mist about the late Dian Fossey's pioneering work habituating the gorillas, interest in gorilla trekking reached new heights.
Travelers from all over the world venture to this remote country to experience these magnificent animals in their native environment. Watching these fascinating creatures on television is exciting enough but nothing in comparison to the thrill of visiting them firsthand.
Appropriately called "The Country of a Thousand Hills," Rwanda is predominantly grassy uplands and hills, with altitudes above sea level varying from a low of 3960 feet (1207 m) to Mt. Karisimbi , the highest of a range of extinct volcanoes in the northwest which reach 14,786 feet (4507 m). Lake Kivu forms part of the border with Zaire and is one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa ,
Also called "The Country of Perpetual Spring," Rwanda 's comfortable climate is temperate and mild with an average daytime temperature of 77° F (25° C). The main rainy season is from mid-February to mid-May, and the shorter one is from mid-October to mid-December.
Ninety-seven percent of the people live in self-contained compounds and work the adjacent land. Sixty percent of the population is Christian (80 percent of which are Catholic), though many people follow traditional African beliefs. About 90 percent of the population is Hutu (Bahutu), nine percent Tutsi (Batusi) and one percent Twa (Batwa) pygmies.
The Tutsi dominated the Hutu farmers with a feudal system analogous to that of medieval England . The system was based on cattle and was surpassed in Africa only by Ethiopia .
Because of its physical isolation and fearsome reputation, Rwanda was not affected by the slave and ivory trade from Zanzibar in the 1800s. The area peacefully became a German protectorate in 1899, and in 1916 was occupied by the Belgians.
Following World War One, Rwanda and Burundi were mandated by the League of Nations to Belgium as the territory of Ruanda-Urundi . Full independence for Rwanda and Burundi was achieved on July 1, 1962.
High population density is at the root of Rwanda 's economic problems. Almost all arable land is under cultivation. Coffee is the country's major export. French and Kinyarwanda are widely spoken while Kiswahili is spoken in the major towns and regions close to the borders. English is spoken in the deluxe hotels and exclusive shops, but very little English is spoken in the countryside.