• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / World / Why Is Rwanda Called The Land of a Thousand Hills?

Why Is Rwanda Called The Land of a Thousand Hills?

May 26, 2020 by Karen Hill

Rwanda is a landlocked nation in Africa, east of Zaire and about 100 miles south of the Equator.

Rwanda has been called the “Land of a Thousand Hills” because much of the country is covered by rolling, grassy hills. There are also volcanic mountains in the northwestern part of the nation.

With an area of just 10,169 square miles, Rwanda is only slightly larger than Maryland or Vermont. It is one of the smallest nations in Africa.

But its population of close to 5 million is about the same as the African nation of Chad, a country more than 50 times as large! The population density of Rwanda therefore is about 475 persons per square mile, the highest population density of any nation on the continent of Africa.

Overpopulation, a landlocked location, and the erosion of land due to grazing has made the “Land of a Thousand Hills” a very poor nation. Rwanda has no railroads, no seaports, and few paved roads. There are only about 3,000 telephones in the entire country.

And there are fewer dentists in Rwanda, in relation to its population, than in any other nation on earth. In the mid-1970s, Rwanda could boast but two dentists, one for every 2.4 million people!

Related Facts

  • How are Thousand-Year-Old Eggs made and Where do Thousand Year Old Eggs come from?
  • What are the Black Hills and How did the Black Hills of South Dakota get their name?
  • What are Indian land claims and How much did the United States offer the Lakota for the Black Hills region?
  • What Are the Chances of Winning One Thousand Dollars At a Casino Game of Craps and Why?
  • How Is Terrace Farming Used To Build Farms on Hills?
  • When Did the Soufriere Hills Volcano On Montserrat Erupt and Is the Volcano Still Active Today?

Filed Under: World

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is The Difference Between a Meteoroid, a Meteor, and a Meteorite?
Next Post: What Very Big Country Has a Very Small Coast? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy