Which Countries Border Rwanda?
Rwanda is a country in East-Central Africa. It is the fourth smallest country in Africa, with an area of 10,169 square miles. Rwanda is landlocked. The country is located in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Its terrain is dominated by savanna in the east and mountains in the west. Besides, numerous lakes are spread out through the country. The people of Rwanda are drawn from Banyarwanda, the only cultural and linguistic group in the country. Banyarwanda are divided into three subgroups: Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. The Twa are the forest-dwelling pygmy people. Christianity is the dominant religion of the country. The principal language is Kinyarwanda. The capital city of Rwanda is Kigali. The country has a presidential system of government. Worth noting is that Rwanda is one among the two countries with the female majority in the national government.
Rwanda is bordered by four countries: Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The national boundaries of Rwanda have remained essentially unchanged since they were drawn by the European colonial powers in 1910.
Bordering Countries
Uganda
Uganda is a landlocked country in the east and central Africa. Just like Rwanda, Uganda is located in the African Great Lakes region. The country also lies in the Nile Basin. Uganda borders Rwanda to the north. The Rwanda-Uganda boundary extends due east for 105 miles from a tri-point where the country touches the DRC. This point is located on Sabino Peak in the Virunga Mountains. The boundary stretches to the tri-point where the country touches Tanzania. This is the juncture of the Kagera and the Kakitumba Rivers. The Rwanda-Uganda border is marked by pillars and streams.
Tanzania
Tanzania is a country is East and Central Africa. The country is also located in the African Great Lakes region. Tanzania has an estimated population of 55.5 million people. The country has several ethnic and religious groups and 100 linguistic groups. Its capital is Dodoma.
The Rwanda-Tanzania border starts from northeastern Rwanda and stretches southward through the swamps and lakes of the Kagera River Valley. The boundary is 135 miles and was partly established in 1920. The border stretches from the tripoint where Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania meet, to where Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania meet. Forming part of Rwanda- Tanzania boundary is the Kagera River. The Kagera River is a river in East Africa, which begins in Burundi’s Lake Rweru, and flows east forming the Rwanda-Tanzania borders to a confluence with the Ruvubu River. From the confluence, the river flows in the northern direction along Rwanda Tanzania border over the Rusumo falls. This falls is an important crossing point between the two countries. The Rusumo Bridge is an international bridge across the Kagera River linking the Rwanda and Tanzania.
Burundi
Burundi is a country in East Africa. The country is located in the African Great Lakes region. Burundi is landlocked. The people of Burundi are the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. The country is one of the world’s poorest countries owing to its untimely civil wars and two genocides in the ’70s and the ’90s. The majority of the population of the country is rural, with only 13% of the people of Burundi residing in urban areas.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The DRC borders Rwanda to the west. The Rwanda-DRC border is 134 miles. The border stretches from the Burundi-DRC-Rwanda tri-point to the DRC-Uganda-Rwanda tri-point. This present-day Rwanda-DRC border was defined by the 1910 European agreements. Since then, the border has remained essentially unchanged. Part of this boundary is formed important geographical features such as Mount Bisoke, Mount Karisimbi, and Mount Sabyinyo. Also, Ruzizi River forms part of the border between Rwanda on the east with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the west. One of the Great African Lakes, Lake Kivu also lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
