What is National Park?
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments.
Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently, there is a common idea: the conservation of ‘wild nature’ for posterity and as a symbol of national pride.
List Of National Parks In Rwanda
The western part of Rwanda forms part of the great rift valley known as Albertine rift valley, it’s also home to some of the unique national parks in Africa that can be seen below.
1 – Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s top tourist destination in the country covering an area of 162 kilometers squared bordering Uganda and Congo, the park is part of the Virunga conservation area, and it’s where you can find five of the eight Virunga volcanoes.
2 – Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is located on the northeastern border of Rwanda and Tanzania, the park was first gazetted as a reserve in 1934 and it covered an area of 2500 kilometers squared but part of the park was inhabited by refugees after the Rwandan genocide was reduced to 1,122 meters squared.
3 – Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe forest national park contains the oldest natural afro-montane rainforest in Africa that survived the last ice age period receiving an annual rainfall of over 2000mm making it very rich in diversity, Nyungwe Forest is found in the southwestern part of Rwanda bordering Burundi and Congo covering an area of 980 kilometers squared.
4 – Gishwati Mukura national reserve
The Gishwati Mukura national reserve can be accessed within three hour’s drive from Kigali the capital of Rwanda, the reserve is part of the rainforest extending from Congo boasting over 6000 plant species, over 100 mammalian species, and several bird species some endemic to this area.
How many national parks are in Rwanda?
Rwanda has four national parks namely the Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
Rwanda is also investing in conservation in the City of Kigali and other secondary cities across the country.
What is the name of the biggest National Park in Rwanda?
Akagera National Park is Central Africa’s largest protected wetland and the last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted species in Rwanda. Interested in visiting Akagera?
What is the newest park in Rwanda?
Gishwati Mukura national park
The Gishwati Mukura national park, Rwanda’s newest national park, was established in 2016. This national park encompasses an area of 992.48 hectares and includes both the Gishwati and Mukura forests, thus its name.