We have compiled together 15 fun facts about Rwanda that you probably didn’t know about before! These fun facts about Rwanda give you an interesting glimpse into what this country has to offer, and it will make you want to visit it sooner rather than later! We hope you enjoy our list of interesting facts about Rwanda’s culture and it helps develop your interest in this incredible country!
1. Rwanda Speaks 3 Official Languages
There are at least three (3) languages spoken by Rwandans. These include Kinyarwanda, French and English. Kinyarwanda is an official language in Rwanda and a national language, alongside French and English as their secondary and backup language.
With these languages in place, the country becomes a country for anyone. Even though you don’t know how to speak Kinyarwanda, French can be your backup language or roll back to the world’s default English and boiler, you are able to navigate around the country and enjoy the beauty of the natural attractions and beautiful hotels in the cities.
2. Rwanda Has Interesting Foods To Eat And Drink
Rwandans love to eat and drink a lot, and if you are planning to spend much time in any kind of social situation with locals, you’ll be happy to know there are a lot of interesting options for both food and drinks.
Their coffee is especially notable; it counts as one of the country’s most famous foreign exports. The coffee is grown along cliffsides, requiring all-natural protection from insects. If new foods fascinate you a lot then this would be your new adventure to take a new vacation.
3. Rwanda Do Not Allow Plastic Bags
This might seems to be one of the most interesting and fun things to know about this cultural nation. Did you know that Rwandans use paper bags to carry their groceries against other countries that use plastic bags?
In fact, most Rwandans don’t even know what a plastic bag is. As a visitor with plastic bags visiting Rwanda, you’ll be required to throw all your plastic bags away before going into any shopping centre in the city. This is an interesting thing to know about Rwanda before visiting the country.
4. Rwanda Produces A Lot Of Tea & Coffee
You might not think of coffee when you think of Rwanda, but it’s actually one of their most popular exports. Despite only being home to 12 million people, it’s considered a world leader in coffee production and produces about 13-20%% of Africa’s coffee production. Similarly, Tea is also a big deal for Rwanda.
5. Rwanda Invest A Lot In Tourism
There are many fun facts about Rwanda. People are not only aware of tourism in Kenya and Tanzania, but also have a good knowledge of tourism in Uganda. Nevertheless, there is one thing that they seem to be ignorant of, despite it being quite fun.
If you had any idea what we are talking about by now, then you can probably tell that what I am trying to say is that there is a lot of potential for tourism in Rwanda. With interesting cultures and natural attractions in the country, this might be your next vacation destination.
6. Rwanda Has A Lot Of Natural Attraction
The lush green hills and beautiful tropical lakes make Rwanda a lovely place to visit and explore. Learn more about these natural attractions, which include Nyungwe Forest, Akagera National Park, Kigali Memorial Centre, Volcanoes National Park and many more.
7. Rwanda Has The Most Uncommon Culture (Umuganda)
It is very fascinating to know that Rwanda’s president also participates in community service which involves cleaning the neighbourhoods. Yes, every last Saturday of the month, all citizens are required to help clean up their neighbourhoods. It’s like a giant community service project where their president also participates in the community service! They call the community service activity; “Umuganda”.
According to history, Umuganda in Rwanda is a national holiday in the country where all citizens including the president are required to participate in community service by cleaning their various neighbourhoods.
8. Businesses Are Registered In 48 Hours
It’s no secret that Rwanda is one of Africa’s best places to do business. It ranks 1st on the African list of best countries for doing business and provides a highly-skilled workforce and affordable labour to business owners including foreigners. Add in affordable office locations you have all of your bases covered! So it’s no surprise that businesses are registered in only 48 hours. Unlike other African countries where it might take longer than that.
9. Mount Karisimbi Is Rwanda’s Populous Mountain
Mount Karisimbi is Rwanda’s tallest peak, at 4,507 meters. It’s located on the borders of Rwanda and Congo and is said to be sacred in Rwandan culture. The mountain is actually known by two different names: Karisimbi in the Kinyarwanda language, which means black woman; and Pic Marguerite, named after a French missionary who once climbed it.
This mountain is among Africa’s most visited mountains and might fascinate you to want to take a look at it by adding it to your next vacation wishlist.
10. Rwanda Is One Of The Most Secured Country In Africa
You would think that a country in which an entire population was massacred and another two million left as refugees would be pretty high on your list of Most Dangerous Countries in Africa. But that is not the case with Rwanda.
In fact, it was voted one of those countries where you feel safer than anywhere else in Africa. This statistic doesn’t take into account people who might want to commit genocide against you, but I’m sure they would never make it past all those security guards.
11. Ridwanda’s Population Is Estimated At 12 Million
As of January 2017, the population of Rwanda was estimated to be 12,033,749 people with Kigali being the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation’s geographic centre. The city is Rwanda’s economic, cultural, and transport hub.
12. Volcanoes National Park lies in Northwestern Rwanda
The national park is known as a haven for the rare and endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), and spans 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) covered in rainforest and bamboo.
13. Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park covers 1,122 square kilometres in eastern Rwanda, along the Tanzanian border. It was founded in 1934 to protect animals and vegetation in three ecoregions: savannah, mountain and swamp. The park is named for the Kagera River which flows along with its eastern boundary feeding into several lakes the largest of which is Lake Ihema.
14. Rwanda has a Genocide Memorial
The Kigali Genocide Memorial commemorates the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The remains of over 250,000 people are interred there. There is a visitor centre for students and those wishing to understand the events leading up to the events of 1994.
The Centre is a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide and serves as a place in which the bereaved could bury their family and friends. The Centre is managed and run by the Aegis Trust and the Kigali City Council.
15. Rwanda has many Tourist Centers To Visit
Even though you are looking for a national park to add to your visiting list, mountains, recreational centres like natural attractions or just looking for a leisure centre in the country, this has got you.
Rwanda’s tourist attractions can be utilized for different travel purposes including business, honeymoon, or just taking a family or group vacation.
Taking a vacation to Rwanda? Aspom Travels is your customer-friendly travel agency in Nigeria to book your next flight ticket with us or contact us to start processing your visa application.
FAQs About Rwanda
What is unique about Rwanda?
Even though Rwanda is one of Africa’s smaller countries, it is home to dozens of ethnic groups and languages. The country’s eight distinct dialects can be traced back to Kinyarwanda, a language that existed long before colonization.
Rwanda has proven to be very unique also in its ability to recover so fast economically to become the best African country to do business in even after the 1994’s genocide incident that claimed the lives of over a million people.
What is Rwanda best known for?
Rwanda is best known for its beautiful natural and cultural attractions in the country. It is also best known for being the African most secure country with a population of about 12 million people.
Conclusion
It’s an important aspect of research and should be encouraged, with fun facts about Rwanda. I hope these fun facts about Rwanda help you make a travel decision. If there’s anything we forgot to ask, please leave a comment on our blog.