Rwanda

American  

[roo-ahn-duh] / ruˈɑn də /

noun

1. a republic in central Africa, E of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: formerly comprising the N part of the Belgian trust territory of Ruanda-Urundi; became independent 1962. 10,169 sq. mi. (26,338 sq. km). Kigali.

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Rwanda British  

/ rʊˈændə /

noun

1. Former name (until 1962): Ruanda.  a republic in central Africa: part of German East Africa from 1899 until 1917, when Belgium took over the administration; became a republic in 1961 after a Hutu revolt against the Tutsi (1959); fighting between the ethnic groups broke out repeatedly after independence, culminating in the genocide of Tutsis by Hutus in 1994. Official languages: Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili. Religion: Roman Catholic, African Protestant, Muslim, and animist. Currency: Rwanda franc. Capital: Kigali. Pop: 12 012 589 (2013 est). Area: 26 338 sq km (10 169 sq miles)

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Rwanda Cultural  

1. Republic in central Africa bordered by Uganda to the north, Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Burundi on the south, and Tanzania on the east. Its capital is Kigali.

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It has long been marked by ethnic strife between majority Hutus and dominant Tutsis. When its president died in a suspicious plane cash in 1994, Hutu militia massacred at least 500,000 Tutsis in an act of genocide.

Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in 1962.

Other Word Forms

• Rwandan
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Rwanda

Zipline, which started out a decade ago delivering blood and medical supplies in Rwanda, already flies food and retail orders in Texas and Arkansas for partners such as Walmart and Chipotle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Back then, at a vote held in Kigali, Rwanda, the support for him was so overwhelming that he was ushered back into office by acclaim, with a storming round of applause replacing a formal vote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Bayern announced last August they were transitioning away from the commercial sponsorship with Visit Rwanda to focus on expanding their academy in Kigali with the Ministry of Sports of Rwanda.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Rwanda reportedly sealed a similar $7.5-million aid deal for 250 people, according to Human Rights Watch.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

And so in 2005, my dad put us on a bus and we moved to Rwanda.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana