Rwanda

[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).
Capital: Kigali.
Related forms
Rwandan, adjective, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Rwanda

Rwanda

/rʊˈændə/
noun
1.
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) Former name (until 1962) Ruanda
Word Origin and History for Rwanda

African nation, named for indigenous people there, whose word for themselves is of unknown origin.

Rwanda in Culture
Rwanda [(roo-ahn-duh)]

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.

Note: Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in 1962.
Note: 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.