Rwanda

Rwan·da  (r-änd) Formerly Ru·an·da (r-änd) A country of east-central Africa. By the late 18th century the region was the site of a Tutsi kingdom inhabited principally by Hutus. In 1890 it became part of German East Africa and later (1919) part of the Belgian League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi. Rwanda achieved independence from Belgium in 1962. In 1990 the country was invaded by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a group largely composed of exiled Tutsis, which signed a peace agreement with the government in 1992. Ethnic fighting broke out again in 1994, however, with the Tutsis routing the Hutu government, causing over a million Hutus to flee to Zaire. Kigali is the capital and largest city. Population: 7,810,000. Rwandan adj. & n.

Rwanda

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Rwanda - a landlocked republic in central Africa; formerly a German colony Ruanda, Rwandese Republic ALIR, Army for the Liberation of Rwanda, FAR, Former Armed Forces, Interahamwe - a terrorist organization that seeks to overthrow the government dominated by Tutsi and to institute Hutu control again; "in 1999 ALIR guerrillas kidnapped and killed eight foreign tourists" East Africa - a geographical area in eastern Africa capital of Rwanda, Kigali - the national capital and largest city of Rwanda; located in central Rwanda Africa - the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean Kivu, Lake Kivu - a lake in the mountains of central Africa between Congo and Rwanda Hutu - a member of a Bantu people living in Rwanda and Burundi Tutsi, Watusi, Watutsi - a member of a Bantu speaking people living in Rwanda and Burundi Rwandan - a native or inhabitant of Rwanda

Translations

Rwanda [ruˈændə] n → Ruanda nt