Living in Rwanda guide for expats

Rwanda covers the total area of 26,338 square kilometres, and its current population is 12,280,535 people. The density of Rwanda's population is among the highest in Africa, standing at 445 inhabitants per square kilometre. The country's capital is the city of Kigali, the centre of political and commercial life. Other big cities are Byumba, Gisenyi, Muhanga, Butare, and Kibungo. The country's official languages are the local Kinyarwanda, French, and English, while Swahili is also widely spoken.

Rwanda has a rural economy with over 90% of the population involved in subsistence agriculture, mineral and agro-processing. Minerals, coffee, teas and, recently, tourism, are the main sources of foreign exchange. The tourism sector is considered especially promising, and the country is working on reforming its infrastructure to match the growing demand.

Rwanda is known as the 'Le Pays des Mille Collines' (Land of a Thousand Hills) thanks to its hilly jungles, bamboo forests, and the mountains of the Virunga volcanoes. Here, you can track the endangered mountain gorillas at the Volcanoes National Park, see lions and elephants at the Akagera National Park, explore the shoreline of Lake Kivu, and go on the Canopy Walkway in the Nyungwe Forest.

A member of the East African Community, Rwanda is open to citizens of all African countries, who can get a visa on arrival. Residents of most other countries will need to apply in advance online for an e-visa.