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.
Area and borders
Rwanda's territory covers 26,338 km2 (10,169 sq mi), of which 24,668 km2 (9,524 sq mi) is land and 1,670 km2 (640 sq mi), or about 6%, is water. The physical geography of Rwanda is defined by its location in the East African highlands, south of the Equator. The country is slightly smaller than Haiti, comparable in size to Burundi and Albania, roughly equivalent in area to the U.S. state of Massachusetts, and among the smallest mainland countries in Africa. Rwanda borders Uganda for 172 km (107 mi) in the north, Tanzania for 222 km (138 mi) in the east, Burundi for 315 km (196 mi) in the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 221 km (137 mi) in the west, giving land boundaries of 930 km (580 mi) in total.
Extreme points Rwanda's geographical extreme points all lie along its international borders rather than at named settlements. The country extends from 1°02′S in the north to 2°50′S in the south, and from 28°51′E in the west to 30°53′E in the east.
Access to the sea Rwanda has no coastline and no maritime claims. The nearest ocean is the Indian Ocean; the closest stretch of coast, near Tanga in Tanzania, is roughly 1,000 km (620 mi) away in a straight line, while the Atlantic coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is about twice as distant. For external trade, Rwanda depends on the Central Corridor, which connects it through Tanzania to the port of Dar es Salaam, and the Northern Corridor, which links it via Uganda and Kenya to the port of Mombasa.
Physical geography
Geology
Rwanda lies entirely on the Victoria Microplate. Its western border follows the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, where steep mountains descend to Lake Kivu and where the Virunga Mountains form a volcanic range containing the country's highest peaks. Volcanic activity has given much of the country soils that are largely volcanic and fertile, supporting intensive subsistence agriculture; the combination of steep slopes and heavy rainfall, however, makes those soils vulnerable to soil erosion and land degradation.
Topography
Rwanda's terrain is predominantly mountainous and hilly, with savanna areas in the east and many lakes across the country. Relief falls consistently from west to east: mountains dominate the west, highlands extend across the centre, and the land slopes downward to plains and savanna along the eastern border. The rolling hills and steep ridges that result give Rwanda its nickname, the "land of a thousand hills". The country's topography ranges from low-lying river valleys to high volcanic peaks, with the lowest point at the Rusizi River at 950 m (3,117 ft) and the highest at Mount Karisimbi at 4,507 m (14,787 ft).
Albertine Rift and the Virunga Mountains Mountains dominate central and western Rwanda. These mountains are part of the Albertine Rift Mountains that flank the Albertine branch of the East African Rift, which runs from north to south along Rwanda's western border. The highest peaks are found in the Virunga volcano chain in the north-west; this includes Mount Karisimbi, Rwanda's highest point, at 4,507 m (14,787 ft). This western section of Rwanda, which lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion, has an elevation of 1,500 to 2,500 metres (4,921 to 8,202 ft).
Central plateau The centre of the country is predominantly rolling hills, forming a plateau that descends eastward from the Albertine Rift highlands. Kigali, the national capital, lies in this central region.
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