Geography of Rwanda
 | |
| Continent | Africa |
|---|---|
| Region | East Africa |
| Coordinates | 2°00′S 30°00′E / 2.00°S 30.00°E |
| Area | Ranked 144th |
| • Total | 26,338 km2 (10,169 sq mi) |
| • Land | 93.66% |
| • Water | 6.34% |
| Coastline | 0 km (0 mi) |
| Borders | 930 km (578 mi) Border lengths included
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| Highest point | Mount Karisimbi, 4,507 m (14,787 ft) |
| Lowest point | Rusizi River, 950 m (3,117 ft) |
| Longest river | Nyabarongo, 351 km (218 mi) |
| Largest lake | Lake Kivu max. depth 480 m (1,575 ft) |
| Climate | temperate tropical highland |
| Terrain | mountains in the west; rolling hills in the centre; savanna, plains and swamps in the east |
| Natural resources | gold, tin ore, tantalum, wolframite, methane, hydropower, arable land |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts and floods; volcanism in the Virunga Mountains |
| Environmental issues | deforestation, overgrazing, land degradation, soil erosion, soil exhaustion, wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity, poaching |
The geography of Rwanda is defined by its position in the Eastern African highlands, a few degrees south of the Equator and near the western branch of the East African Rift. Rwanda's territory covers 26,338 km2 (10,169 sq mi), making it the 144th largest country in the world and one of the smallest mainland countries in Africa. Bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, it is landlocked and has no coastline, and lies between latitudes 1°03′ and 2°50′ S and longitudes 28°52′ and 30°54′ E. Its land boundaries total 930 km (580 mi).
The major geomorphological divisions of Rwanda run from west to east: the Albertine Rift mountains, the central plateau and the eastern lowlands. The mountains of the west include the Virunga Mountains, a chain of volcanoes along the north-western border, and among them Mount Karisimbi, the highest peak in the country at 4,507 m (14,787 ft). East of them lies a plateau of rolling hills and steep ridges, which give Rwanda its nickname, the "Land of a Thousand Hills". The land falls away further eastward to the savannahs, plains and wetlands of the Akagera basin. The lowest ground, however, lies on the opposite side of the country: the Rusizi River at the Congolese border, 950 m (3,117 ft) above sea level.
The Congo–Nile watershed runs roughly north–south through the western highlands, dividing the country between two major drainage basins. About 80% of Rwanda drains eastward into the Nile basin, mainly through the Nyabarongo–Kagera system that feeds Lake Victoria, while about 20% drains westward into the Congo basin through Lake Kivu and the Rusizi. Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, forms much of the western border, with smaller lakes such as Muhazi, Ihema and Burera scattered across the interior. Despite its proximity to the Equator, Rwanda's high elevation gives it a temperate tropical highland climate, with two rainy seasons and rainfall heavier in the western highlands than in the drier eastern lowlands. Its ecosystems range from mountain forest to savanna and wetland, and support a rich biodiversity despite the small national territory.
The population recorded at the 2022 census was 13,246,394, giving a population density of 503 inhabitants per square kilometre, among the highest in Africa. Life expectancy at birth stood at 69.7 years. Administratively, Rwanda is divided into the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western provinces (intara), together with the City of Kigali, which is both the national capital and an independent administrative entity. These subdivide into districts (akarere), the main level of local government. Only about 28% of the population lives in urban areas, and that share is heavily concentrated in Kigali.