[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rwanda-map1_7334.gif]]
->''"It is not rare, even today, to hear Rwandans argue that a war is necessary to wipe out an excess of population and to bring numbers into line with the available land resources...the people whose children had to walk barefoot to school killed the people who [[TheSocialDarwinist could buy shoes for theirs.]]"''
-->--'''Jared Diamond''', ''Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive''

Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda ('''Kinyarwanda:''' ''Repubulika y'u Rwanda'', '''Swahili:''' ''Jamhuri ya Rwanda'', '''French:''' ''République du Rwanda''), is a highland country in East UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}, neighbored by UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}} in the North, UsefulNotes/{{Burundi}} in the South, UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}} in the East, and the UsefulNotes/DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo in the West. It also borders Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, to its west. Like Burundi, the country's territory is tiny compared to its neighbors, but it hosts an impressive number of people for its size; 12.3 million people in 26,338 square kilometer of area (470 people per square kilometer). For comparison, the DR Congo is seven times more populous, but is ''89'' times larger. That makes it the continent's second most densely-populated country, after UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}.

The country is probably best known in the world for its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Civil_War extremely bloody civil war]] in the early [[TheNineties 1990s]], or rather, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_genocide the genocide]] that happened during it. The civil war claimed around 7,500 lives, but the genocide had casualties more than a hundred times that; it's estimated that up to 1 million lives perished during the event.

So why did they happen? The conflict can be traced to historical hostilities between the country's two major ethnicities, Hutus and Tutsis. Although "ethnicity" is not quite the right word; the distinction is very slippery, but the difference might be a bit closer to "Caste" or a distinction between "Common" and "Noble"--even before colonization. The two have lived in the same society and have spoken the same language since the dawn of an Imperial Tutsi Dynasty that once expanded over the region, forcing the conquered peoples into a subservient caste. The empire lasted for centuries even after Europeans came in and even left, the Tutsis were historically a dominant minority, ruling over the whole population and typically getting the best jobs (although this isn't to say that there weren't plenty of impoverished Tutsis and rich Hutus).

The original kingdom fell under colonisation of the Germans (one of the leftovers they had to accept because most of the continent was taken by the other powers when the [[UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany German Empire]] was formed) until UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, when UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}} invaded and took control of the zone. Both of them ruled the country by proxy, leaving in place the old Rwandan monarchy and Tutsi aristocracy. Both group of colonisers decided to encourage the split between Hutus and Tutsis, and even in some cases actively fanned the hostilities between the two, [[DivideAndConquer believing that dividing the population against itself was an effective way to keep them under control]]. Even after the kingdom split into Rwanda and Burundi, the situation kept the same, except for the escalating violence from the Hutu. Things changed in 1959, when the Hutu revolted; in 1961, they deposed the King and installed a republic with a Hutu president. Still, the Tutsis retained many positions of power and influence until 1973, when Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, took power in a coup and they turned the tables, leading the violence and discrimination against the Tutsi.

Things got even worse when some rebel Tutsis formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), starting a civil war that fell into a stalemate, forcing the president to sign some accords. Unfortunately, worse came to worst and Habyarimana's plane was shot down, killing both him and Burundi's president, Cyprien Ntaryamira (also a Hutu). Soon after that (a few hours, as a matter of fact) started a murderous frenzy of Hutus, killing any Tutsis or moderate Hutus they found during a period of about 100 days while the Western powers just stood there without doing anything (the recent failure of the pacification mission in UsefulNotes/{{Somalia}} dissuaded them of going to another African country). In fact, the genocide seemed so well planned and organized because it was actually planned way before by the government and the military, and it is suspected by some [[ThanatosGambit that Habyarimana's death was deliberate to give them an excuse to start it]].

The genocide ended when the RPF managed to take control of the country and, while they did engaged in revenge against the Hutus, today things are more peaceful. This peace, so to speak, was achieved mainly by exporting the problem: both Tutsis and Hutus exiled themselves in neighboring Zaire (today's DR Congo) and started fighting there, a leading cause of UsefulNotes/TheCongoWars.

Politically, the country is an authoritarian state, with the current President Paul Kagame having been ruling since 2000 after winning three consecutive elections, the third of which was made possible when, two years earlier, the parliament modified the constitution so the president can run for three terms ([[BlatantLies totally not a coincidence]]).

Between the Hutus and Tutsis there lies a third ethnic group. The Twas are a pygmy people, remnants of the region's earliest settlers before the Bantu migration of the 1st millennium BCE. Due to racism, they have been historically stomped upon by both Tutsis and Hutus; not only they fell victim of collateral damage during the genocide, but also they've been marginalized by the government.

!!Rwanda in the media:

* ''Film/HotelRwanda''. It tells the story of [[BadassPacifist Paul Rusesabagina]], a hotel manager who protected as many Tutsis and moderate Hutus in his hotel as he could from the genocide.
* ''Kinyarwanda'' (named after the native language of the country, talked by the three ethnic groups) is another film about the genocide, though this one focuses more on individual stories.
* ''Film/SometimesInApril'' chronicles the lives of two Hutu brothers during the genocide.
* ''Literature/ShakeHandsWithTheDevil'', a book of Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire about the failure of the UN to stop the genocide.
* ''Film/GorillasInTheMist'' tells the story of naturalist Dian Fossey in Rwanda while working with gorillas.
* ''Series/TopGear'' briefly passed through Rwanda on their trip to find the source of the Nile River. Jeremy Clarkson also mentions the horrific genocide from decades earlier.
* In the ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' episode "Filibuster", Tom has to deal with his girlfriend from Doctors Without Borders going to Rwanda. He mistakenly thinks this is a "vacation" and complains that "if I know anything about Rwanda, and I don't, I bet it's full of rich guys who will buy her whatever she wants."
* [[Creator/DonRosa Don Rosa's]] Disney comic "The Crocodile Collector" has WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck and his nephews finding the source of the Nile in Rwanda
* Belgian singer Music/{{Stromae}} is half-Rwandan, which sometimes appears in his work.
** "bâtard", which is about BlackAndWhiteMorality, has a line which translates as "Are you Hutu or Tutsi?"
** Indirectly in "Papaoutai", as the song deals with issues caused by his DisappearedDad, who was very absent during his whole life, then his death during the Rwandan genocide completely prevent them to mend their relation in the future.
* American metalcore band Fit for a King have stated that their song "Stacking Bodies" is about the genocide.

!! Relevant works from Rwanda include:
* Myth/GreatLakesBantuMythology
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[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: The Rwandan flag ]]

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rwanda_flag_7521.png
->In 2001 the government replaced the red-yellow-green flag of Rwanda (itself using the UsefulNotes/{{Ethiopia}}n variant of the Pan-African colors) due to its association with the genocide. This change was meant to symbolize a more optimistic direction for Rwanda; the upper half is colored blue for happiness and peace; the lower half's yellow and green stripes symbolizes economic progress and hope of prosperity, respectively; and the golden sun on the upper right quarter symbolizes enlightenment.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: The Rwandan national anthem ]]


->Rwanda nziza Gihugu cyacu
->Wuje imisozi, ibiyaga n'ibirunga
->Ngobyi iduhetse gahorane ishya.
->Reka tukurate tukuvuge ibigwi
->Wowe utubumbiye hamwe twese
->Abanyarwanda uko watubyaye
->Berwa, sugira, singizwa iteka.

->Horana Imana, murage mwiza
->Ibyo tugukesha ntibishyikirwa;
->Umuco dusangiye uraturanga
->Ururimi rwacu rukaduhuza
->Ubwenge, umutima,amaboko yacu
->Nibigukungahaze bikwiye
->Nuko utere imbere ubutitsa.

->Abakurambere b'intwari
->Bitanze batizigama
->Baraguhanga uvamo ubukombe
->Utsinda ubukoroni na mpatsibihugu
->Byayogoje Afurika yose
->None uraganje mu bwigenge
->Tubukomeyeho uko turi twese.

->Komeza imihigo Rwanda dukunda
->Duhagurukiye kukwitangira
->Ngo amahoro asabe mu bagutuye
->Wishyire wizane muri byose
->Urangwe n'ishyaka, utere imbere
->Uhamye umubano n'amahanga yose
->Maze ijabo ryawe riguhe ijambo.

--

->Rwanda, nchi yetu nzuri na yenye
->kupendwa na milima, maziwa na volkano
->Nchi ya Mama, ingejazwa furaha kila wakati
->Sisi watoto wako wote: Abanyarwanda
->Wacha tuimbe mng'ao wako na tutangaze ukweli wako wa hali ya juu
->Wewe, kifua cha mama yetu sisi sote
->Ungeweza kupendwa milele, mafanikio na funika sifa.

->Urithi wenye thamani, kwamba Mungu analinda kwako
->Ulijaza sisi bidhaa zenye bei kubwa
->Tamaduni yetu ya kawaida hututambulisha
->Lugha yetu moja inatuunganisha Kwamba akili zetu,
->dhamiri zetu na vikosi vyetu Kukujaza utajiri anuwai
->Kwa maendeleo yasiyokoma tena.

->Wazee wetu wenye nguvu
->Walijitolea miili na roho
->mbali na kukufanya wewe kuwa taifa kubwa
->Ulishinda nira ya ukoloni-ubeberu ambayo imeharibu
->Afrika kabisa na furaha yako ya uhuru wako
->huru imepatikana ambayo kila mara tutatetea.

->Kudumisha hii Cape, Mpendwa Rwanda,
->Kudumu, tunajitolea kwa ajili yako Ili amani itawale nchi nzima
->Kwamba uko huru na kizuizi chochote
->Kwamba uamuzi wako unakodisha maendeleo
->Kwamba una uhusiano mzuri na nchi zote
->Na kwamba hatimaye kiburi chako kinastahili heshima yako.

--

->Rwanda, notre beau et cher pays
->Paré de collines, de lacs et de volcans
->Mère-patrie, sois toujours comblée de bonheur
->Nous tous tes enfants: les Rwandais
->Chantons ton éclat et proclamons tes hauts faits
->Toi, Giron maternel de nous tous
->Sois à jamais admiré, prospère et couvert d’éloges.

->Précieux héritage, que Dieu te protège
->Tu nous as comblés de biens inestimables
->Notre culture commune nous identifie
->Notre unique langue nous unifie
->Que notre intelligence, notre conscience et nos forces
->Te comblent de richesses diversifiées
->Pour un développement sans cesse renouvelé.

->Nos valeureux aïeux
->Se sont donnés corps et âmes
->Jusqu’à faire de toi une grande Nation
->Tu as eu raison du joug colonialo-impérialiste
->Qui a dévasté l’Afrique tout entière
->Et te voici aise de ton indépendance souveraine
->Acquis que sans cesse nous défendrons.

->Maintiens ce cap, Rwanda bien-aimé
->Debout, nous nous engageons pour toi
->Afin que la paix règne dans tout le pays
->Que tu sois libre de toute entrave
->Que ta détermination engage le progrès
->Qu’excellent tes relations avec tous les pays
->Et qu’enfin ta fierté te vaille estime.

--

->Rwanda, our beautiful and dear country
->Adorned of hills, lakes and volcanoes
->Motherland, would be always filled of happiness
->Us all your children: Abanyarwanda
->Let us sing your glare and proclaim your high facts
->You, maternal bosom of us all
->Would be admired forever, prosperous and cover of praises.

->Invaluable heritage, that God protects to you
->You filled us priceless goods
->Our common culture identifies us
->Our single language unifies us
->That our intelligence, our conscience and our forces
->Fill you with varied riches
->For an unceasingly renewed development.

->Our valorous ancestors
->Gave themselves bodies and souls
->As far as making you a big nation
->You overcame the colonial-imperialistic yoke
->That has devastated Africa entirely
->And has your joy of your sovereign independence
->Acquired that constantly we will defend.

->Maintain this cape, beloved Rwanda,
->Standing, we commit for you
->So that peace reigns countrywide
->That you are free of all hindrance
->That your determination hires progress
->That you have excellent relations with all countries
->And that finally your pride is worth your esteem.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Government ]]

* Unitary dominant-party presidential constitutional republic
** President: Paul Kagame
** Prime Minister: Édouard Ngirente
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[[/folder]]

[[folder: Miscellaneous ]]

* '''Capital and largest city:''' Kigali
* '''Population:''' 12,374,397
* '''Area:''' 26,338 km² (10,169 sq mi) (144th)
* '''Currency''': Rwandan franc ([=FRw=]) (RWF)
* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' RW
* '''Country calling code:''' 250
* '''Highest point:''' Mount Karisimbi (4507 m/14,787 ft) (33rd)
* '''Lowest point:''' Ruzizi River (950 m/3,117 ft) (78th)