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Essay / Republic of Rwanda: languages, religion, culture, agriculture
LanguagesFrench, English, Kinyarwanda and Swahili are the official languages spoken by the Republic of Rwanda. With over 12 million speakers, Kinyarwanda is an ethnic Bantu language in various countries including: the demographics of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda, the only ethnic language is Kinyarwanda. It is spoken by Rwandan ethnic groups: the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. In the 15th century, following close interaction between these three ethnic groups, Kinyarwanda developed as a cultural identity. It is the most widely spoken national language in Rwanda, with approximately 93% of the population speaking this language. It is used as a language of instruction in institutions, administration, the media and commerce because it is an official language. Rwanda being a former Belgian colony, it adopted French as its official language. However, only about 0.1% of the mostly educated population speaks French, despite it being a colonial language. Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which negatively affected the status of the language, it was slowly replaced by English. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The involvement of the French in the genocide caused the Rwandan people to completely detach themselves from the French and their influences. In Rwanda, English is the third official language, spoken by approximately 0.2% of the population. It became an official language in the late 20th century and was later introduced into the school system in 2008. The transition from French to English was triggered by the desire to free itself from French influences and bring Rwanda in line with the East African community. Additionally, by increasing the number of foreign investors from English-speaking countries, the use of English provides an economic advantage. Currently in Rwandan institutions, English is currently used as the main mode of teaching. The Rwandan government officially made Swahili an official language of the country in February 2017. The adoption followed a request from the East African community for its members to include Swahili as one of the official languages . The language should be used in administrative functions and in official documents. Swahili will also be adopted into the curriculum as a compulsory subject.ReligionThe six main religious beliefs in Rwanda include: Roman Catholic Christianity, Protestant Christianity, other forms of Christianity, Islam, atheism or agnosticism and popular African beliefs. other forms of Christianity are Rwanda's most important religious beliefs, accounting for 96.3% of the population. Roman Catholicism is the largest religious group, followed by 46.5% of the population, and it was first introduced to Rwandans when the country became part of German East Africa (1891-1919). ). Furthermore, in Rwanda, Protestantism is the second largest Christian group and religion, followed by 45.4% of the population. After World War I, Belgian Protestant missionaries entered the country following Belgium's takeover of Rwanda as the territory of Ruanda-Urundi (1916-1962). As a result, Protestantism grew in prominence in the country and surrounding regions during the 1930s. Additionally, other forms of Christianity combine to make up a total of 4.4% of the country's population, making it is the third largest religious belief in Rwanda. Among all other forms of Christianity in Rwanda, theJehovah's Witnesses are the most notable and most harassed group. In Rwanda, Islam is the fourth largest religious belief, with only 1.8% of the population practicing this religion. Sunni Islam is followed by most Muslims in the country. It is believed to have arrived in Rwanda in the 18th century via Muslim traders from the east coast of Africa. However, it had not become a significant part of the country until the very end of the 19th century. The number of people in Rwanda who identify as atheists or agnostics represents 1.8% of the population. In Rwanda, atheists and agnostics are not officially counted in the country, and there is a stigma attached to being non-religious in this highly religious country. Since the end of the Rwandan genocide, there has been an influx of people declaring themselves atheists or agnostics. In Rwanda, the number of people who say they follow popular African beliefs is only about 0.1% of the population. Only a handful of people in the country practice African folk beliefs, but many followers of other faiths incorporate some traditional elements into their religious practices. The predominant African folk belief is the belief in a supreme being called Imaana, as well as other lesser deities. They also believe that, through the spirits of ancestors, it is possible to communicate with these deities. Ethnic Origin The three predominant ethnic groups in Rwanda include: Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. In the Great Lakes regions of Africa, Burundi, Rwanda, and parts of the demographic Republic of Congo, the Hutu ethnic group is centralized. In Rwanda, this is the ethnic majority, made up of approximately 84% of the population according to the 2015 census. Following the great Bantu expansion in West Africa, the Hutu immigrated to the region of Great Lakes. Hutu speak Rwanda-Bundu as their mother tongue, which is divided into Kinyarwanda and Kirundi, the official languages of Rwanda and Burundi, respectively. The Tutsi are a sub-ethnic group of the Banyarwanda located mainly in Rwanda and Burundi. In Rwanda, Tutsi make up around 15% of the population, making them the second largest ethnic group. The Tutsi are divided into two groups. Tutsi residing in northern Rwanda are known as Ruguru, while Tutsi living in southern Burundi are called Hima. For more than 400 years, Tutsi have resided in Rwanda and intermarried with Hutus. The native language of the Tutsis is Rwanda-Rundi, composed of Kinyarwanda and Kirundi. Additionally, French is also spoken as a second or third language. In the Great Lakes region, the Twa people are the oldest survivors, currently inhabiting Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo as a Bantu caste. In Rwanda, they constitute an ethnic minority representing only 1% of the population. Living in association with agricultural communities, the Twa are semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers. They arrived in Rwanda alongside the Hutu as a distinct people of mixed ancestry in the 15th century AD. Due to the expansion of agriculture and increased logging, the Twa were forced to leave the mountain forests in search of new homes. As a result, they have been marginalized, having limited access to basic amenities such as schools, and continue to suffer discrimination and prejudice due to their Pygmy ancestry.CultureRwandan women's cultural clothing is known as from Umushanana and it was traditionally made from animal skin and bark cloth. . The garment consists of a skirt..