Socio-Economic Activities in Our District
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Socio-Economic Activities in Our District
Lesson 1 of 4
14 min
Mutesi's aunt lives far away and wants to post her a birthday card. "What is your address?" she asks on the phone. "Rwanda!" says Mutesi. Her aunt laughs. "Rwanda has more than 13 million people. The post office needs to know exactly where you are!"
To say exactly where you live, you need to know your province, your district and the smaller places inside it. Let's find out how Rwanda is divided.
Rwanda is divided into four provinces and the City of Kigali. The provinces are named after the directions of the compass.
| Province or City | Kinyarwanda name | Number of districts |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Province | Amajyaruguru | 5 |
| Southern Province | Amajyepfo | 8 |
| Eastern Province | Iburasirazuba | 7 |
| Western Province | Iburengerazuba | 7 |
| City of Kigali | Umujyi wa Kigali | 3 |
Add them up: 5 + 8 + 7 + 7 + 3 = 30 districts. A district is called akarere in Kinyarwanda (many districts: uturere).

| Province | Its districts |
|---|---|
| Northern (5) | Burera, Gakenke, Gicumbi, Musanze, Rulindo |
| Southern (8) | Gisagara, Huye, Kamonyi, Muhanga, Nyamagabe, Nyanza, Nyaruguru, Ruhango |
| Eastern (7) | Bugesera, Gatsibo, Kayonza, Kirehe, Ngoma, Nyagatare, Rwamagana |
| Western (7) | Karongi, Ngororero, Nyabihu, Nyamasheke, Rubavu, Rusizi, Rutsiro |
| City of Kigali (3) | Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge |
Every district is cut into smaller parts, like boxes inside bigger boxes:
Province (intara) → District (akarere) → Sector (umurenge) → Cell (akagari) → Village (umudugudu)
The village is the smallest part, and the one closest to your home.

Rwanda's neighbours help you find your way: Uganda is to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Lake Kivu lies along the western side.
Example: Nyagatare District is in the Eastern Province, in the far north-east corner of Rwanda. It is the largest district in the country. It borders Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Gatsibo District to the south and Gicumbi District to the west.
Tip
Big to small: Province, District, Sector, Cell, Village. Remember it with "Pupils Dance, Sing, Clap and Vote." The first letters are in the same order!
Answer: 30.
Answer: The Southern Province, with 8.
Answer: Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge.
Answer: Uganda (to the north) and Tanzania (to the east).
Answer: Province, district, sector, cell, village.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The rest of the lesson is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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