Much of the country’s 26,338 sq. km is impressively mountainous, the highest peak being Karisimbi (4,507m) in the volcanic Virunga chain protected by Volcanoes National Park (Parc des Volcans). The largest body of water is Lake Kivu. Rwanda’s historical heritage, its climate, its landscape, and its people are what make it the country it is today. It was colonized by the Germans in 1884, and it was subject to the Belgian regime during the First World War.

Things went from bleak to terrible for the locals during the Rwandan genocide, but they have now recovered to a large extent. The economy is primarily supported by subsistence agriculture and tourism. Surprisingly, Rwanda has a climate more similar to that of Germany rather than other African countries. Its capital and largest city, Kigali, is located at the heart of the country.