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Kigali, population 851,024 (2005), is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated in the center of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport center of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main home and offices of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, are located in the city, as are the government ministries. The city is coterminous with the province of Kigali City, which was enlarged in January 2006 as part of local government reorganisation in the country.
History Kigali was founded in 1907 under German colonial rule, but did not become the capital until Rwandan independence in 1962. The traditional capital was the seat of the mwami (king) in Nyanza, while the colonial seat of power was in Butare, then known as Astrida. Butare was initially the leading contender to be the capital of the new independent nation, but Kigali was chosen because of its more central location. Since then the city has grown very quickly and is now the major political, economic and cultural centre of Rwanda. Beginning on April 7, 1994, Kigali was the scene of the Rwandan Genocide — the slaughter of approximately one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus by Hutu militias (interahamwe), and some members of the Rwandan army — and of fierce fighting between the army (mostly Hutu) and Tutsi-dominated Rwandese Patriotic Front. Although damaged, the city's structure has recovered. Geography
Economy Tin ore (cassiterite) is mined nearby, and the city built a smelting plant in the 1980s. Business in Rwanda is growing, and many new buildings are emerging across the city, including the BCDI tower and the Centenary House office block. Tourism and expatriate NGO workers provide important input into the economy also. Transportation
Airports
International There are several daily coach services which depart from Kigali to destinations in East Africa. Most leave from the Nyabugogo bus station. These services include: In addition the national express share taxi services to Gisenyi and Cyangugu often cross the DRC border to carry passengers to Goma and Bukavu respectively. National Kigali is the hub of the Rwanda transport network, with hourly express bus routes to all major towns in the country. The major nationwide companies are Okapi Car, Atraco, Stella, Omega (minibuses), and Onatracom, which offers a big bus service, while Volcano Express (to Butare), Virunga Express (to Ruhengeri), Muhabura Express (to Ruhengeri and Gisenyi) serve specific destinations. There are also taxi minibus services (matatus) leaving from Kigali, which also go through to the major towns, but which stop frequently along the route to pick people up and set them down. These services do not run to a fixed timetable, and one often has to wait an hour or more for them to fill up before departing. Local Public transport within Kigali is exclusively by taxi minibus (matatu), with a number of different routes, connecting the main hubs of Mu Mujyi (the city centre), Nyabugogo, Kacyiru, Kimironko and Remera. Similar to the national taxi minibuses, these services wait to fill up before setting off from the terminus, then pick up and drop off frequently en route. Most routes within the city operate on a flat fare of 150 FRW (about US $0.25). Private hire Kigali has many taxis (known as 'special hire' or 'taxi voiture'), which are generally white with an orange stripe down the side. Fares vary from 1000 FRW ($1.75) up to 2500 FRW ($4.50) for a journey right across the city. There are also motorbike taxis ('taxi moto'), which offer a service similar to a taxi, but for lower prices, typically in the range 200-1000 FRW. Points of Interest
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