Although Rwanda is a relatively small country, it has several distinct geographical regions. The western part of the country is part of the Great Rift Valley, a long trench that runs from northern Africa to Mozambique. Lake Kivu, on Rwanda's western border, is in the Great Rift Valley. In the northwest are the Virunga Mountains, a series of volcanic peaks. Mount Karisimbi in the Virunga Mountains is 4,532 metres high. The central part of the country is a high plateau, which was once forested, but is now grassland. The southeast is a region of lakes and marshes.

 Rwanda is called "The Land of a Thousand Hills" because of its mountainous terrain. Although it is just one degree south of the equator, its high altitude keeps the temperature mild. The average daytime temperature in the central plateau is 19 to 22°C. Variations in climate are caused by differences in altitude. In the mountains, the weather is much cooler, and on the mountaintops, the temperature may drop below freezing. The mountains also receive up to 180 cm of rain a year, whereas the lowlands in the east may get only 80 cm a year.

Rwanda has four seasons: a short dry season in January and February, a rainy season from March to May, a longer dry season from June to September, and another rainy period from October to December. The country experiences occasional droughts.

 Most of the forests are in the western mountains and the Lake Kivu area. Eucalyptus, acacia and oil palms are the most common trees. Rwanda's wildlife includes elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, wild boars, leopards, antelopes and flying lemurs. Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Mountains of northwestern Rwanda is home to half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. However, the civil war and ongoing violence in this area threaten mountain gorillas and other wildlife. Forests and game reserves have been taken over by squatters, rebels, poachers and cattle herders.

Did you know?

The mountain gorillas of Rwanda were studied by American zoologist Dian Fossey, author of Gorillas in the Mist. She was killed in Rwanda in 1985 and is buried there under a stone marked with the word Nyiramacilibi, which means "the lone woman of the forest."