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.

---

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)

---

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.

---

Discover More

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

Uganda and Rwanda are restricting public events and mass gatherings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Kenya has since introduced enhanced screening for travellers arriving from 10 countries it considers to be at high risk: DR Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

She has interviewed many of the world's leaders and newsmakers over the past decades and reported from hotspots such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

She was front and center as the network delivered images of the first Gulf war, the Bosnian war and conflicts in Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Then they took a bus to our apartment in Rwanda.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---