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Kigali, population 851,024 (2005), is the capital and largest city of Rwanda
Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania....
. It is situated in the centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main home and offices of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame

Paul Kagame is the current President of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide....
, are located in the city, as are the government ministries. The city is coterminous with the province
Provinces of Rwanda

Image:Rwanda Provinces 2006.png|left|300pxpoly 211 66 216 74 223 76 230 102 262 85 306 169 296 177 277 166 247 178 241 188 209 179 193 160 176 155 172 127 167 123 140 119 131 107 153 84 174 84 189 74 204 79 North Province, Rwanda...
 of Kigali City, which was enlarged in January 2006 as part of local government reorganisation in the country.






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Kigali, population 851,024 (2005), is the capital and largest city of Rwanda
Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania....
. It is situated in the centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main home and offices of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame

Paul Kagame is the current President of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide....
, are located in the city, as are the government ministries. The city is coterminous with the province
Provinces of Rwanda

Image:Rwanda Provinces 2006.png|left|300pxpoly 211 66 216 74 223 76 230 102 262 85 306 169 296 177 277 166 247 178 241 188 209 179 193 160 176 155 172 127 167 123 140 119 131 107 153 84 174 84 189 74 204 79 North Province, Rwanda...
 of Kigali City, which was enlarged in January 2006 as part of local government reorganisation in the country. The city's urban area covers about 70% of the municipal boundaries.

History

Kigali was founded in 1907 under German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 colonial rule, but did not become the capital until Rwandan independence
Decolonization

Decolonisation refers to the undoing of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction....
 in 1962. The traditional capital was the seat of the mwami (king) in Nyanza
Nyanza, Rwanda

Nyanza is a town located in Nyanza in the Southern Province, Rwanda of Rwanda.The old Royal Palace of the Rwandan monarchy is located in the town of Nyanza. It is now the Rwesero Art Museum....
, while the colonial seat of power was in Butare
Butare

Butare is a city in the South Province, Rwanda of Rwanda and capital of Huye district. It was the capital of the former Butare Province, Rwanda, that was dissolved on January 1, 2006....
, 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 6, 1994, Kigali was the scene of the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide

The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates by Hutus under the Hutu Power ideology....
 — the slaughter of approximately one million
Million

One million , or one thousand 1000 , is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The name is derived from Italian, where mille was 1,000, and 1,000,000 became milione, "a large thousand"....
 Tutsi
Tutsi

The Tutsi are one of three native peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa and the Hutu....
 and moderate Hutu
Hutu

The Hutu are a Central African ethnic group, living mainly in Rwanda and Burundi....
 by Hutu
Hutu

The Hutu are a Central African ethnic group, living mainly in Rwanda and Burundi....
 militias (interahamwe
Interahamwe

The Interahamwe is a Hutu paramilitary organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide....
), and some members of the Rwandan army — and of fierce fighting between the army (mostly Hutu
Hutu

The Hutu are a Central African ethnic group, living mainly in Rwanda and Burundi....
) and Tutsi
Tutsi

The Tutsi are one of three native peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa, the other two being the Twa and the Hutu....
-dominated Rwandese Patriotic Front. Although damaged, the city's structure has recovered

Geography and history