Rwanda has many lakes. The largest, Lake Kivu, is located in the midst of the volcanic peaks in the Virunga Mountains and forms part of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The lake has a surface area of 2,665 square kilometers (1,025 square miles) and reaches a maximum depth of 475 meters (1,558 feet).
The Provinces of Rwanda, called intara, are further divided into districts (akarere) and municipalities (umujyi). Prior to January 1, 2006, Rwanda was composed of twelve provinces; however, the Rwandan Government decided to establish new provinces in an attempt to address issues that arose from the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.
Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than are typical for equatorial countries because of its high elevation. Kigali, in the centre of the country, has a typical daily temperature range between 12 and 27 °C (54 and 81 °F), with little variation through the year.