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

Rwanda had sought his extradition in 2014 but the authorities in the Netherlands then launched their own investigation into N, who had become a Dutch citizen.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

He said previous agreements had failed as they did not tackle "the root cause" of the conflict, namely the continued presence in eastern DRC of Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 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

In April 2025, PSG extended their sponsorship with Visit Rwanda until 2028 while Atletico Madrid signed a three-year deal to carry the logo on their men's and women's shirts.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

They explained that in the late 1800s, many members of my tribe began moving from their native Rwanda to the mountains of South Kivu, a Congolese province.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana