Which city is the capital of Rwanda?

Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda. It is also the country’s largest city and serves as a province-level administrative unit in central Rwanda, spread across a landscape of hills, valleys, and ridges.

Kigali was founded in 1907 as a German colonial administrative outpost. It remained a relatively small and secondary settlement for much of the colonial period, while other places, including Nyanza and Butare, held greater political, religious, or intellectual importance. When Rwanda became independent in 1962, Kigali was selected as the national capital partly because of its central location.

The city is often described as one of Africa’s cleanest and most orderly capitals, although its rapid growth has also created challenges involving housing, transport, and urban expansion. Kigali became an important setting during Rwanda’s modern political history, including the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Today it is the country’s main governmental, commercial, and transport centre, and its airport connects Rwanda with regional and international destinations.