BukavuBukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lying at the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the South Kivu Province and as of 2012 it had an estimated population of 806,940. In 2021 it has an estimated urban population of 1,133,000. HistoryBukavu is part of the ancient territory of Bushi Kingdom, an ethnic group of South-Kivu.
Lake KivuLake Kivu (pronunciation) is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. In the past, Lake Kivu drained toward the north, contributing to the White Nile.
TanzaniaTanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest, Kenya to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest, and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.
RwandaFlag EmblemMotto: Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu(Kinyarwanda)Unity, Work, Patriotism(English)Unité, Travail, Patriotisme(French)Umoja, Kazi, Uzalendo(Swahili)Anthem: "Rwanda nziza"(English: "Beautiful Rwanda")Show globeShow map of AfricaCapitaland largest cityKigali1°56′38″S30°3′34″E / 1.94389°S 30.05944°E / -1.94389; 30.05944Official languagesKinyarwandaEnglishFrenchSwahiliNational languageKinyarwandaWorking languageEnglishEthnic groups (1994)100% Banyarwanda85% Hutu14% Tutsi1% TwaReligion 93.8% Christianity3.0% no religion2.2% Islam1.0% otherDemonymsRwandanRwandeseGovernmentUnitary semi-presidential republic under an authoritariandictatorship• PresidentPaul Kagame• Prime MinisterJustin Nsengiyumva• Speaker of the Chamber of DeputiesGertrude KazarwaLegislatureParliament• Upper houseSenate• Lower houseChamber of DeputiesFormation• Kingdom of Rwanda15th century• Part of German East Africa1897–1916• Part of Ruanda-Urundi1916–1962• Rwandan Revolution1959–1961• Republic declared28 January 1961• Independence from Belgium1 July 1962• Admitted to the UN18 September 1962• Current constitution26 May 2003Area • Total26,338 km (10,169 sq mi) (144th)• Water (%)6.3Population• 2026 estimate 14,418,145 (76th)• 2022 census13,206,731• Density578/km (1,497.0/sq mi) (21st)GDP(PPP)2026 estimate• Total$65.461 billion (129th)• Per capita$4,523 (159th)GDP(nominal)2026 estimate• Total$17.336 billion (137th)• Per capita$1,198 (174th)Gini(2023) 39.4medium inequalityHDI(2023) 0.578medium (159th)CurrencyRwandan franc (RWF)Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (AD)Calling code+250ISO 3166 codeRWInternet TLD.rwWebsitewww.gov.rwRwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in East Africa.
Albertine Rift9°S34°E / 9°S 34°E / -9; 34The Albertine Rift is the western branch of the East African Rift, covering parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. It extends from the northern end of Lake Albert to the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. The geographical term includes the valley and the surrounding mountains.
Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the CongoArticle 2 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo divides the country into the capital city of Kinshasa and 25 named provinces. It also gives the capital the status of a province. Therefore, in many contexts Kinshasa is regarded as the 26th province. ListHistoryWhen Belgium annexed the Belgian Congo as a colony in November 1908, it was initially organised into 22 districts.
BurundiBurundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and southeastern Africa, with a population of over 14 million people. It is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Lake Tanganyika lies along its southwestern border.
French languageFrench (français or langue française) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, French and its closest relatives—the langues d'oïl, historically spoken in northern France and southern Belgium—descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. It was influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul and by the GermanicFrankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders.
Capital cityA capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational division, usually as its seat of government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by law or a constitution.
ManiemaManiema Province (Mkoa wa Maniema, in Swahili) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu. The 2020 population was estimated to be 2,856,300.
East African RiftThe East African Rift (EAR) or East African Rift System (EARS) is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. The EAR began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22–25 million years ago. It is considered to be part of a larger system, formerly known as the Great Rift Valley, that extends north to Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia.
SwahiliSwahili, also known as Kiswahili, is a Bantu language of the Atlantic–Congo language family, originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent littoral islands). Estimates of the number of Swahili speakers, including both native and second-language speakers, generally range from 40 million to 200 million. Most native speakers reside in Tanzania and Kenya.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.