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Rwanda lies on the East African plateau, with the divide between the water systems of the Nile and Zaire rivers passing in a north-south direction through the western part of the country. To the west of the divide, the land drops sharply to Lake Kivu in the Great African Rift Valley; to the east, the land falls gradually across the central plateau - its grassy highlands are the core areas of settlement of Rwanda's population - to the swamps and lakes on the country's eastern border.
Most of Rwanda is 3,000 ft above sea level, with much of the central plateau being higher than 4,700 ft. In the northwest, on the border with Zaire, are the volcanic Virunga Mountains; the highest peak, Mount Karisimbi (14,870 ft) is snowcapped. Lake Kivu, 4,700 feet above sea level, drains into Lake Tanganyika, through the sharply descending Ruzizi River. The Kagera River, which forms much of Rwanda's eastern border, flows into Lake Victoria.
Places of Interest:
Flowing along and down the sides of a ridge in what appears to be the exact centre of Rwanda is the country's capital, Kigali. The city is small but big on attractiveness; it's dotted with a wide variety of colourful flora and with a number of viewpoints looking out over Rwanda's other 999 hills.
Besides the natural splendour of its verdant location, there's not a lot of sightseeing material in Kigali; in fact, just the opposite applies to the parts of the city that have yet to undergo architectural rehabilitation from the damage inflicted during the last round of civil conflict.
Butare
Butare is an even smaller place than Kigali but this is no reflection of its stature - it has been described as the intellectual centre of Rwanda, due to the fact that the National University, National Institute of Scientific Research and National Museum are all sited here.
You'll find plenty in Butare to exercise your mind and your sense of what Rwanda is all about, from presentations of Rwanda's prehistory and ethnic beginnings to vibrant cultural performances. The Musee National du Rwanda is the centrepiece of Butare.
Gisenyi
The words 'relaxation' and 'Rwanda' would be thought by many to be mutually exclusive. However, relaxation is precisely what attracts the wealthier Rwandans, expatriates and travellers looking to splurge to the lakeside resort town of Gisenyi.
Situated on the eastern shore of the enormous Lake Kivu, Gisenyi is stuffed full of manicured villas, salubrious hotels and the requisite nightclubs. It's a glitzy exercise in leisure amid much harsher African environs, but you'll enjoy yourself if you leave your reservations at the door.