Despite their political differences, it seems difficult not to link these two countries Rwanda and Burundi, whose geography, history, culture and way of life seem so much that could be said that adventure trips Burundi and Rwanda is enjoyable. States are caps between West and East, between Tanzania and Zaire. Located in the mountainous barrier that cuts vertically Africa, constitute an area of passage and at the same time, the point farthest from the final destination, the sea like fly mig photo. The Indian Ocean is 1,200 km and 2,000 km to the Atlantic, which does not simplify the search for an economic equilibrium. This isolation helped the region which was only belatedly discovered by the Europeans, in the late nineteenth century.
Like its neighboring Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi were in their home villages by
Pygmies: the Twa (or Batwa), who did not survive more than in small numbers and very mixed. Then they came at the beginning of our era, Bantu farmers, the largest ethnic group of the moment, are the Hutu (or Bahutu).
Around the sixteenth century, Hamit herders, the Tutsi (or Batutsi) came with their herds North oxen. These thin men, who appreciated both the jokes and jokes and drank mead, were equally courageous warriors almost mig-29. Imposed their kingship to the Hutus.
The kings took place in both countries fortunes and rivalries of influence. The first settlers were German-supported reigning monarchies to establish its domination. After the First World War, the Belgians did the same until independence in 1962. The liberation of the territories was followed by an explosion of ethnic and instincts of bloody fratricidal war between Hutus and Tutsis.
One of the particularities of Rwanda and Burundi is to have a significant population in a small area. This density does not want, despite the mountainous terrain. There are no large cities, where the unemployed could be stacked, but a cloud of small family villages. Along the tracks are picking off a succession of cottages, usually made of dry mud, subject of a twisted wood topped by a roof, which is increasingly replacing the more undulating tile. Around, forming a thick veil banana, fruit used primarily to produce the beer for fermentation. Nearby is the site where the cattle are closed at night. With their long horns are part of the landscape, are also part of the heritage and represent a capital rather than a power source: the importance of the owner and his social rank is determined by the number of these animals, so there is no question of kill, and the herd is totally unproductive. Around this core lie the fields, planted with groups of eucalyptus, planted crops. The women work dressed in brightly colored fabrics.
A fairly high relief (between the ends, 770 m and 4500 m, the average height is set at 1,500 m) but not aggression, to characterize the two states, who call themselves “country of a thousand hills.” Whole derives great sweetness, confirmed by a temperate climate. In the North, Rwanda, the Parc des Volcans in the Virunga Massif, extending to Zaire. Many of these volcanoes, the highest of which, Karisimbi (4,507 m), has two craters, lend themselves to promotion, and there is the amazing vegetation of Ruwenzori: hagenias long hair lichen, lichens tree, immortal, Lobelia, and many other extraordinary plants. With luck, you can also see elephants, buffalo and even though they are much rarer than in Zaire, gorillas.
It is amusing to note that there is a source of the Nile in Rwanda and in Burundi, are part of the tourism resources, and can be admired in both cases, a small creek.
A multitude of lakes occupied these regions, but especially two of them attract visitors: the Kivu, in Rwanda, instead of hiking and leisure (with beautiful well-equipped beach in Gisenyi) and Tanganyika, in Burundi, the real inland sea. The waters of the latter are extremely rich in fish, and fishermen get ton n’dagalas (fish that resemble sardines). The capital of Burundi, Bujumbura, a large city with low houses, aired by the greenery, it extends to its shores. The capital of Rwanda, Kigali, is hidden among the hills, the neighborhoods are very scattered, each took up a hill, crowned by a church or a small building that the difference of its neighbors. From there, a road runs to the east and the main attraction in Rwanda: the park Kagera reserve of 390,000 hectares of animals. Runs well maintained landscapes reveal diverse hills that can reach 1600 m, shrub or grassy savanna, a set of islands and lakes, gallery forests along rivers.
The interesting flora, the fauna: hippopotamus, lions, panthers, zebras and especially colonies of antelope and buffalo. There are hundreds if not thousands, damaliscos, Impala, kobs, lynx and a few sitatunga, living among the reeds. Buffalo, impressive size, is about 7,000. It is possible to hunt in special reserves, and are highly prized trophies. Do not forget the roughly 500 species of birds of all sizes, calling at the lakes in the course of their migrations. Although it is close to Kigali, this reserve is not accessed. Probably this is due to the feeling of intimacy and peace.