Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Music and Art as Historical Record

Dancing and Music is a very important part of Rwandan life.  It is integral to the culture and how they express themselves in social gatherings, storytelling and many other important ceremonies.  There are three highly choreographed dances that include the intore, a dance performed by men, the umushagiriro, performed by women, and the ingoma, drumming performed by men.  The traditions of this country are that the music is done orally with varies styles within the different social groups.  [1]
The people of Rwanda make beautiful baskets.  The work is intricate and the patterns are amazing.  They used these baskets for daily use but they are beautiful.  Most of their crafts are for everyday use and they are creative with the designs and ways to make these baskets as well as other great daily tools. [3]
Photograph depicting a bowl shaped off-white woven basket with tall conical lid and black zigzag pattern[4] woven basket from Rwanda
 They also use what is around them to create art.  One famous art style is the use of cow manure called imigongo. The cow manure is mixed into soil of different natural colors, and then painted into geometric shapes.  This art work is traditionally done by women.
[5]Imigongo art
“Rwanda does not have a long history of written literature, but there is a strong oral tradition ranging from poetry to folk stories. Many of the country's moral values and details of history have been passed down through the generations.[244] The most famous Rwandan literary figure was Alexis Kagame (1912–1981), who carried out and published research into oral traditions as well as writing his own poetry.”[6]
Alexis Kagame was a great ethnophilosopher.  He studied the indigenous philosophical systems of the cultures in Rwanda.  As theology professor, he studied the traditions, oral history, and literature of Rwanda.  He is credited as being one of the most important historians of Rwanda. [7]

[2]https://youtu.be/5Ui91236OwY

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Geography of Rwanda

Rwanda is located in eastern/central Africa.  It is a landlocked nation.  Rwanda is located near the equator.  The entire country is at a high altitude: the lowest point is the Rusizi River at 950 metres (3,117 ft) above sea level.[1] 
  
The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo, which rises in the south-west, flows north, east, and southeast before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera; the Kagera then flows due north along the eastern border with Tanzania. [2]  
There are many lakes in Rwanda, the largest is Lake Kivu. This lake is located along the western border of Rwanda and the deepest part is 1575 feet.  This lake is one of the deepest lakes in the world.  [3]
There are mountains located in western and central Rwanda.  The mountains are included in the Albertine Rift mountains that flank border the East African Rift.  The two highest peaks are located in the Virunga volcano chain located in the Northwest.  Mount Karisimbi is the highest point in Rwanda measuring at 14,787 feet. [4]
Kigali is the capital of Rwanda and it is situated near the center of the country.  It is the largest city and has a population of over 1 million people.  This city is the main hub of Rwanda and has been since 1962 when it became the capital.  The president of Rwanda resides in this city as well as all the government offices.  An interesting fact about Rwanda is that it is one of two countries that has a female majority in national parliament. [5]
The population of Rwanda is predominantly rural and young.  Rwandans have just one cultural group, the Banyarwanda and there are three subgroups with in this group.  The Twa live in the forest and they come from the line of the earliest inhabitants of Rwanda.  Hutu and Tutsi are believed to arrive into this country from different locations; some also believe that the differences in these people come from different social classes within the same grouping of peoples. [6]
Christianity is the most popular religion in Rwanda.  The main language is called Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by most Rwandans and they also have French and English as their official language. In Rwanda today they have one of the lowest corruption rates as compared with other African countries. [7]
 Rwanda has tropical highland climates.  The temperatures range from 54 degrees Fahrenheit to 81 degrees Fahrenheit, with little to no variance throughout the year.  There are two different rainy times through the year, February - June and September- December.  There are two different dry seasons as well; From June- September and December- February. [8]


Flag of Rwanda.svg
Flag of Rwanda [9]


Location of Rwanda [10]



[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Rwanda

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Rwanda


[3]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Rwanda

[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Rwanda


[5]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigali

[6]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda#Geography

[7]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda#Geography

[8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda#Geography

[9]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda#Geography

[10]http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/95/62295-004-107945FE.jpg