GEOGRAPHY
Rwanda's countryside is 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. The divide between the Congo and Nile
drainage systems extends from north to south through western Rwanda
at an average elevation of almost 9,000 feet. On the western slopes
of this ridgeline, the land slopes abruptly toward Lake Kivu and
the Ruzizi River valley, which form the western boundary with
the People's Democratic Republic of 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.
Although located only two
degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda's high elevation makes the
climate temperate. The average daily temperature near Lake Kivu,
at an altitude of 4,800 feet (1,463 meters) is 73o
F (23o C). During the two
rainy seasons (February-May and September-December), heavy downpours
occur almost daily, alternating with sunny weather. Annual rainfall
averages 80 centimeters (31 in.) but is generally heavier in the
western and northwestern mountains than in the eastern savannas.
Official
Name:Republic of Rwanda
Area: 26,338 sq. km. (10,169 sq. km.); about the size of
Maryland.
Cities: Capital--Kigali (est. pop. 236,000). Other cities--Gitarama,
Butare, Ruhengeri, Gisenyi. Terrain: Uplands and hills.
Climate: Mild and temperate, with two rainy seasons.
