Known as the land of 1,000 hills, this country couldn't be further from the cliched African image of arid deserts and dry bush. Winding roads hug verdant slopes, every inch carved into fields with crops ranging from banana trees to maize. In the valleys are great sweeping tea plantations, rice fields and coffee groves.
Officially name: Republic of Rwanda
Capital: Kigali
Largest city: Kigali
Official language: Kinyarwanda, French, English
Government: Republic
The culture of Rwanda is varied. Unlike many countries in Africa, Rwanda has been a unified state since precolonial times, populated by the Banyarwanda people who share a single language and cultural heritage.