Kigali

Kigali

Kigali, city and capital of Rwanda. It is located in the centre of the country on the Ruganwa River. Kigali was a trade centre (after 1895) during the German colonial administration and became a regional centre during the Belgian colonial period (1919–62). It became the capital upon Rwanda’s independence in 1962. In 1994 thousands of Tutsi in Kigali were killed by Hutu gangs and the Rwandan army.

The city includes a Muslim quarter and spreads over four hills. Northeast of the city is a squatters’ settlement, and southeast is an industrial area. Kigali’s light industry includes shoe, paint and varnish, radio-assembly, and tanning factories. Cassiterite (tin) mining companies have their headquarters in Kigali, and a smelting plant was built there in the 1980s. The city is connected by roads, including several that are paved, to all four borders of the country. It also has an international airport and a technical college. Pop. (2002) 603,049.