Rwanda consists mainly of grassy uplands and hills that extend southeast from a chain of volcanoes in the northwest. It is divided by several rivers and has many lakes. The climate is temperate with two annual rainy seasons.
Rwanda's population density is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, but few live in villages or cities. Nearly every family lives in a self-contained compound. There are three Rwandan ethnic groups: The Tutsis (14 percent) are pastoral, the Hutus (85 percent) are farmers, and the Twa (1 percent) are pygmies.
For more than 400 years, Rwanda was ruled by a Tutsi monarchy. In 1959, Hutus gained control of the government. A Tutsi-led insurrection in 1990 led to bitter civil strife, which culminated in 1994 with an estimated 800,000 people being killed and 2 million fleeing to neighboring countries. A new constitution was adopted in 1995, and many refugees have since returned, but the country still struggles with the devastating effects of the war.