Lost in Rwanda Trivia Quiz

Answer: Uganda

Rwanda lies in the northern part of the continent of Africa, and on the eastern side. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the western border, with Tanzania to the east and Burundi to the south. The border with Uganda is the shortest of the four at 169 km.

Answer: Belgium

Rwanda was part of German East Africa, along with Burundi and Tanganyika, as it was then named, from 1884 until World War I. Germany's defeat led to the breakup of the region, with Britain taking possession of Tanganyika and Rwanda passing to Belgian control under the Treaty of Versailles.

The Germans had been responsible for the promotion of the Tutsis above the Hutus, possibly planting the seeds which led to the genocide of 1994.

Answer: Twa

The Twa, or Great Lakes Twa, are also known as Batwa or Abatwa, and live in Burundi, Uganda and the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as in Rwanda. Historically, the Twa are believed to have been subjugated by the Hutus and then the Tutsi people, finding themselves at the bottom of the pecking order. Although rarely mentioned, many Twa people were killed during the genocide in Rwanda, with some estimates referring to nearly a third of the population dying.

The Berbers are from northern Africa, the Ewe from western Africa, particularly Togo and Benin, and the Zulus are a South African ethnic group.

Answer: Lake

Lake Kivu lies on the western border of Rwanda, with just under 60% of its area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the remainder in Rwanda. It is one of the African Great Lakes which are formed along the East African Rift. Other lakes on the rift include Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika.

The name of Kivu comes from the Bantu language, where it means 'lake', so Lake Kivu actually means 'Lake Lake'.

Answer: False

Rwanda actually lies south of the equator, which runs through Uganda. Although it is close to the equator, being only two degrees south of it, Rwanda's climate is classed as temperate due to its height above sea level. The Rusizi river is the lowest point of Rwanda, and even this has an elevation of 950 metres above sea level.

Answer: Sun

The previous flag, which lasted from 1962 until 2001, had vertical bands of red, yellow and green with a large black letter 'R' in the centre. The new flag was designed to make a fresh start, with the blue signifying peace and happiness and the yellow representing economic progress.

The green denoted the country's hopes for future prosperity, with the sun symbolising a new enlightenment. Rwanda also redesigned its national seal at the same time, and for the same reasons.

Answer: Mountain gorilla

Also known by its French name of Parc National des Volcans, the park is situated in north west Rwanda, in the Virunga Mountains. The area became the first national park set up in Africa, during the 1920s when the Belgians were in charge. It is one of the most important conservation areas for the mountain gorilla, but the park also has other animals, including buffalo and spotted hyenas.

The park is one of Rwanda's main tourist attractions. It was in this part of Rwanda that Dian Fossey studied the gorillas, and where she was murdered in 1985.

Answer: Cow dung

The craft dates from the late eighteenth century, and was originally used to decorate dwellings. The dung is used to create shapes, including spirals and diamond shapes, before being allowed to dry naturally. The artist then paints the images using natural colours such as red from soil and white from kaolin.

Answer: Butare

Butare is situated in the south of Rwanda, and is the third largest town in the country. The National University of Rwanda was established there in 1963, and Butare is considered to be the cultural centre. Kigali was chosen as the new capital following Rwanda's independence due to its location in the centre of the country.

The other places listed are not in Rwanda. At the beginning of the twenty-first century Kinshasa was the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kampala was Uganda's capital. Bujumbura was the capital of Burundi.

Answer: Snow

Mount Karisimbi is an inactive volcano on the western border of Rwanda, and does indeed have snow on its highest levels during June, July and August, the dry season. The name comes from the Kinyarwanda language, which is the main language of the Rwandan people.

Their word for snow is amasimbi, which has evolved into Karisimbi. The volcano is one of a chain in a range called the Virunga Mountains, which cover parts of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Rwanda.