One of the last regions of Africa to come under European colonial domination, Rwanda has a complex but fascinating history. Brief overviews of that history, as well as other basic information about this unique country, can be found in the Wikipedia entry for Rwanda. Social, economic and demographic information on Rwanda can be found at the CIA World Factbook.

Rwanda, whose remote hills and mountains were not penetrated by European explorers until the late 19th century, offers unique wildlife experiences and dramatic scenery. A helpful overview of tourism opportunities in Rwanda is available from the Rwanda Tourist Board.

For those who have been there, a visit with Rwanda's mountain gorillas (you can sit twenty feet away from a gorilla family as it forages in the wild) ranks among the most moving experiences of their lives. Numerous outfitters, both international and local, offer gorilla safaris to the Virunga volcanoes in the Parc National des Volcans. Photos by visitors can be seen at the personal websites of Greg Shaw and Matt Ebiner.

You can combine a gorilla safari with one to Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest, inhabited by a large population of chimpanzees, as well as many other primates (e.g., colobus, red-tailed, vervet and grey-cheeked mangabey monkeys), some 300 bird species, and a variety of wild orchids and butterflies.