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157-572: The Karisoke Research Center is a research institute in Rwanda 's Volcanoes National Park . It was founded by Dian Fossey on 24 September 1967 to study endangered mountain gorillas . Fossey located the camp in Rwanda's Virunga volcanic mountain range , between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke , and named it by combining the names of the two mountains. After Fossey's murder in December 1985, she

314-513: A League of Nations mandate called Ruanda-Urundi and started a period of more direct colonial rule. The Belgians simplified and centralised the power structure, introduced large-scale projects in education, health, public works, and agricultural supervision, including new crops and improved agricultural techniques to try to reduce the incidence of famine. Both the Germans and the Belgians, in

471-772: A civil war in 1990. Habyarimana was assassinated in April 1994. Social tensions erupted in the Rwandan genocide that spanned one hundred days. The RPF ended the genocide with a military victory in July 1994. Rwanda has been governed by the RPF as a de facto one-party state since 1994 with former commander Paul Kagame as President since 2000. The country has been governed by a series of centralized authoritarian governments since precolonial times. Although Rwanda has low levels of corruption compared with neighbouring countries, it ranks among

628-513: A home shopping network. Her line of home products, initialized as E.D., for Ellen DeGeneres, began being offered on QVC on October 24, 2014, under the name E.D. on Air. DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen in the summer of 2015. After her initial collections, the brand name then changed to ED Ellen DeGeneres to incorporate the licensed arm of her brand. The collection includes apparel, shoes, accessories, pet, baby and home items. DeGeneres's dog collection at PetSmart

785-517: A proportional representation system. Rwanda's legal system is largely based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law . The judiciary is independent of the executive branch, although the president and the Senate are involved in the appointment of Supreme Court judges. Human Rights Watch has praised the Rwandan government for progress made in the delivery of justice including

942-474: A 1999 clash between the two countries' armies as they backed opposing rebel groups in the Second Congo War, but improved significantly in the early 2010s. In 2019, relations between the two countries deteriorated, with Rwanda closing its borders with Uganda. Before western colonization, the Rwandan government system had a quasi-system of political pluralism and power sharing. Despite there being

1099-961: A 2018 Netflix stand-up special, Relatable . She released another special, For Your Approval , through Netflix in September 2024. Ellen's work in the late 1980s and early 1990s included the film Coneheads . DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show named Ellen's Energy Adventure , which was part of the Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion at Walt Disney World 's Epcot . The film also featured Bill Nye , Alex Trebek , Michael Richards , and Jamie Lee Curtis . The show revolved around DeGeneres's falling asleep and finding herself in an energy-themed version of Jeopardy! , playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, and Albert Einstein . The next film had DeGeneres co-hosting an educational look at energy with Nye. The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, as Ellen's Energy Crisis , but

1256-582: A 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.85/10, ranking it 139th globally out of 172 countries. Rwanda's economy suffered heavily during the 1994 genocide, with widespread loss of life, failure to maintain infrastructure, looting, and neglect of important cash crops. This caused a large drop in GDP and destroyed the country's ability to attract private and external investment. The economy has since strengthened, with per-capita nominal GDP estimated at $ 909.9 in 2022, compared with $ 127 in 1994. As of

1413-483: A coalition with the domestic opposition and eventually to sign the 1993 Arusha Accords with the RPF. The cease-fire ended on 6 April 1994 when Habyarimana's plane was shot down near Kigali Airport, killing him. The shooting down of the plane served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide , which began within a few hours. Over the course of approximately 100 days, between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were killed in well-planned attacks on

1570-547: A daytime television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show , in September 2003. One of several celebrity-hosted talk shows surfacing at the beginning of that season, including those of Sharon Osbourne and Rita Rudner , her show has consistently risen in the Nielsen ratings and received widespread critical praise. It was nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show. The show won 25 Emmy Awards for its first three seasons on

1727-503: A fast warming country, with an increase in average temperature of between 0.7 °C to 0.9 °C over fifty years. In prehistoric times, montane forest occupied one-third of the territory of present-day Rwanda. Naturally occurring vegetation is now mostly restricted to the three national parks , with terraced agriculture dominating the rest of the country. Nyungwe , the largest remaining tract of forest, contains 200 species of tree as well as orchids and begonias . Vegetation in

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1884-420: A few large towns; dwellings are evenly spread throughout the country. The only sparsely populated area of the country is the savanna land in the former province of Umutara and Akagera National Park in the east. Kigali is the largest city, with a population of around one million. Its rapidly increasing population challenges its infrastructural development. According to the 2012 census, the second largest city

2041-464: A few years prior to her gruesome murder, telling the often-shocking story of the unraveling of Fossey’s Rwandan facility as pressures mount in an effort to extricate Fossey from her domain. Instead of the intrepid scientist many admired in the pages of National Geographic magazine, Fowler shows Fossey as a chain-smoking, hard-drinking woman bullying her staff and students into submission in her efforts to hold onto to her reputation as scientist and savior of

2198-433: A fifth season but experienced falling ratings and was cancelled. DeGeneres returned to television in 2001 with a new CBS sitcom, The Ellen Show , which was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2007, a former writer said she treated the writers "like shit" saying "Why do you keep writing these unfunny jokes?" After her sitcoms, DeGeneres would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host. DeGeneres launched

2355-441: A judge on the ninth season of American Idol . Her role started after the contestant auditions, at the beginning of "Hollywood Week". It is reported that DeGeneres also signed a contract to be a judge on the show for at least five seasons. She made her American Idol debut on February 9, 2010. However, on July 29, 2010, DeGeneres and Fox executives announced that the comedian would be leaving American Idol after one season. In

2512-419: A military coup . Pro-Hutu discrimination continued, but there was greater economic prosperity and a reduced amount of violence against Tutsi. The Twa remained marginalised, and by 1990 were almost entirely forced out of the forests by the government; many became beggars. Rwanda's population had increased from 1.6 million people in 1934 to 7.1 million in 1989, leading to competition for land. In 1990,

2669-682: A monument to Fossey, her work and the first camp dedicated exclusively to the study of mountain gorillas. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund continues to operate the Karisoke Research Center, from its Regional Research Center headquarters in Musanze. Thanks to Karisoke Research Center's active conservation program, the mountain gorillas of the Virungas are the only great ape species to have increased in number in recent decades. Karisoke conducts extensive daily protection and monitoring of

2826-398: A multi-party system of government, with politics based on democracy and elections. However, the constitution places conditions on how political parties may operate. Article 54 states that "political organizations are prohibited from basing themselves on race, ethnic group, tribe, clan, region, sex, religion or any other division which may give rise to discrimination". The president of Rwanda

2983-748: A musician and producer. She was raised a Christian Scientist . Her parents filed for separation in 1973 and were divorced the following year. Shortly after, her mother married Roy Gruessendorf, a salesman. Betty Jane and Ellen moved with Gruessendorf from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Texas . Vance stayed with his father. When she was 15 or 16 years old, DeGeneres was molested by her stepfather. Gruessendorf used her mother's recent breast cancer diagnosis as an excuse to touch her inappropriately, saying he needed to examine her breasts for lumps. Eventually, he tried to break down her door and sexually assault her, prompting her to run away from home and spend

3140-516: A petition to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. The petition was granted on September 23, 2010. DeGeneres previously described herself as a vegan and "big animal lover". De Rossi is also a vegan. DeGeneres co-ordinated a vegan outreach website titled "Going Vegan with Ellen". She intended to open a vegan tapas bar, Bokado, in Los Angeles, but plans fell through. The website for The Ellen DeGeneres Show formerly contained

3297-485: A population of 10,515,973. The population is young: in the 2012 census, 43.3% of the population were aged 15 and under, and 53.4% were between 16 and 64. According to the CIA World Factbook , the annual birth rate is estimated at 40.2 births per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015, and the death rate at 14.9. The life expectancy is 67.67 years (69.27 years for females and 67.11 years for males), which

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3454-483: A production company, A Very Good Production . She also launched a lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, which comprises a collection of apparel, accessories, home, baby, and pet items. Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born and raised in Metairie, Louisiana , to Elizabeth Jane "Betty" (née Pfeffer) (born 1930), a speech therapist , and Elliott Everett DeGeneres (1925–2018), an insurance agent . She has one brother, Vance ,

3611-404: A romantic relationship with actress Anne Heche that lasted until August 2000. From 2000 to 2004, DeGeneres maintained a close relationship with photographer Alexandra Hedison . The couple appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation had already been announced to the media. Since 2004, DeGeneres has had a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi . After the overturn of

3768-562: A section called "Going Vegan with Ellen", in which she promoted " Meatless Mondays " and featured vegan recipes. In 2016, DeGeneres stated that she had re-introduced fish into her diet , and confirmed that she had stopped following a vegan lifestyle "in the last year or two for no reason really" in her 2018 stand-up comedy special Relatable . DeGeneres has invited Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle to speak on her show several times about

3925-807: A standup, she has released the HBO specials The Beginning (2000) and Here and Now (2003) as well as the Netflix specials Relatable (2018) and For Your Approval (2024). DeGeneres is also known as an awards host having successfully hosted the Academy Awards twice in 2007 and 2014 , the Grammy Awards twice in 1996 and 1997 , and the Primetime Emmy Awards twice in 2001 and 2005 . She has authored four books and started her own record company, Eleveneleven , as well as

4082-600: A statement, DeGeneres said that the series "didn't feel like the right fit for me". DeGeneres began hosting the NBC game show Ellen's Game of Games during the 2017–2018 television season . Based on games played on her talk show, the series previewed on December 18, 2017, with regular episodes starting the following January. It would run for four total seasons until May 2021, with its cancellation announced in January 2022. On September 4, 2018, TCL , announced its extension as

4239-439: A strict hierarchy, the pre-colonial system achieved an established, combined system of "centralized power and decentralized autonomous units." Under the monarch, the elected Chief governed a province that was divided into multiple districts. Two other officials appointed by head Chief governed the districts; one official was allocated power over the land while the other oversaw cattle. The king ( mwami ) exercised control through

4396-470: A surprise gift of a new electronic LED marquee sign. DeGeneres made a surprise appearance at Tulane University 's May 2006 commencement in New Orleans. Following George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the podium, she appeared in a bathrobe and furry slippers. "They told me everyone would be wearing robes," she said. Ellen made another commencement speech at Tulane in 2009. The show broadcast for

4553-565: A system of commercial courts created in 2011 to expedite commercial litigations. Between 2004 and 2012, a system of Gacaca courts was in operation. Gacaca , a Rwandan traditional court operated by villages and communities, was revived to expedite the trials of genocide suspects. The court succeeded in clearing the backlog of genocide cases, but was criticised by human rights groups as not meeting legal fair standard. Rwanda has low corruption levels relative to most other African countries; in 2014, Transparency International ranked Rwanda as

4710-585: A system of provinces, districts, hills, and neighbourhoods. As of 2003, the constitution divided Rwanda into provinces ( intara ), districts ( uturere ), cities, municipalities, towns, sectors ( imirenge ), cells ( utugari ), and villages ( imidugudu ); the larger divisions, and their borders, are established by Parliament. In January 2006, Rwanda was reorganized such that twelve provinces were merged to create five, and 106 districts were merged into thirty. The present borders drawn in 2006 aimed at decentralising power and removing associations with

4867-547: A third of the country's farmland, potatoes , beans , sweet potatoes , cassava , wheat and maize . Coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export, with the high altitudes, steep slopes and volcanic soils providing favourable conditions. Reports have established that more than 400,000 Rwandans make their living from coffee plantation. Reliance on agricultural exports makes Rwanda vulnerable to shifts in their prices. Animals raised in Rwanda include cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, and rabbits, with geographical variation in

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5024-493: A thread on Twitter in which he called DeGeneres "notoriously one of the meanest people alive", and asked other Twitter users to post "stories you've heard about Ellen being mean", pledging to donate two dollars to the Los Angeles Food Bank for each post. The thread quickly went viral , with several posts alleging situations where DeGeneres had been unkind (such as for firing people who greeted her or looked her in

5181-656: A turkey instead of eating one" at Thanksgiving. In November 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named DeGeneres a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness. On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres opened the show at the David Lynch Foundation 's 3rd annual "Change Begins Within" gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to raise funds to bring Transcendental Meditation to at-risk populations suffering from epidemic levels of chronic stress and stress-related disorders . She says: "TM

5338-556: A two-minute black-and-white spot in which she works with animals, debuted in November 2006 and was created by Ogilvy & Mather . In 2007, the commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. DeGeneres began working with CoverGirl Cosmetics in September 2008, for which she has been criticized, as her animal-friendly values clash with Procter and Gamble's (the maker of CoverGirl Cosmetics) animal testing. Her face became

5495-543: A variety of media. The Fossey Fund supports and has helped renovate schools and a health clinic near the park and supports clean water, parasite treatment, and prevention programs that reduce transmission of disease from people to gorillas as well as improving the quality of life for the communities. Ellen DeGeneres plans to help build a permanent home in Rwanda for the work of the Fossey Fund to protect critically endangered mountain gorillas. The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of

5652-980: A week from Universal Studios Orlando in March 2007. Skits included DeGeneres going on the Hulk Roller Coaster Ride and the Jaws Boat Ride. DeGeneres was placed on bed rest in May 2007 due to a torn ligament in her back. She continued hosting her show from a hospital bed, tended to by a nurse, explaining "the show must go on, as they say." Guests sat in hospital beds as well. On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated her 1000th episode with celebrity guests such as Oprah Winfrey , Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton , among others. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Timberlake surprised DeGeneres on her 2,000th show in December 2015. DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul as

5809-486: Is Gisenyi , which lies adjacent to Lake Kivu and the Congolese city of Goma , and has a population of 126,000. Other major towns include Ruhengeri , Butare , and Muhanga , all with populations below 100,000. The urban population rose from 6% of the population in 1990, to 16.6% in 2006; by 2011, however, the proportion had dropped slightly, to 14.8%. Rwanda has been a unified state since pre-colonial times, and

5966-457: Is a provincial-level authority, which coordinates urban planning within the city. At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country, and the fourth smallest on the African mainland after Gambia , Eswatini , and Djibouti . It is comparable in size to Burundi , Haiti and Albania . The entire country is at a high altitude: the lowest point

6123-535: Is empowered by the constitution to oversee the activities of the president and the Cabinet. The lower chamber is the Chamber of Deputies , which has 80 members serving five-year terms. Twenty-four of these seats are reserved for women, elected through a joint assembly of local government officials; another three seats are reserved for youth and disabled members; the remaining 53 are elected by universal suffrage under

6280-580: Is home to an estimated one-third of the worldwide mountain gorilla population. Nyungwe Forest boasts thirteen primate species including common chimpanzees and Ruwenzori colobus arboreal monkeys; the Ruwenzori colobus move in groups of up to 400 individuals, the largest troop size of any primate in Africa. Rwanda's population of lions was destroyed in the aftermath of the genocide of 1994, as national parks were turned into camps for displaced people and

6437-428: Is low but rising rapidly; in 2015 there were 12.8 internet users per 100 people, up from 2.1 in 2007. In 2011, a 2,300-kilometre (1,400 mi) fibre-optic telecommunications network was completed, intended to provide broadband services and facilitate electronic commerce. This network is connected to SEACOM , a submarine fibre-optic cable connecting communication carriers in southern and eastern Africa. Within Rwanda

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6594-626: Is no discernible physical difference and the categories were not historically rigid. In precolonial Rwanda the Tutsi were the ruling class, from whom the kings and the majority of chiefs were derived, while the Hutu were agriculturalists. The current government discourages the Hutu/Tutsi/Twa distinction, and has removed such classification from identity cards. The 2002 census was the first since 1933 which did not categorise Rwandan population into

6751-433: Is nominally democratic, elections are manipulated in various ways, which include banning opposition parties, arresting or assassinating critics, and electoral fraud . The RPF is a Tutsi-dominated party but receives support from other communities as well. The constitution was adopted following a national referendum in 2003, replacing the transitional constitution which had been in place since 1994. The constitution mandates

6908-499: Is now Rwanda dates from, at the latest, the last glacial period , either in the Neolithic period around 8000 BC, or in the long humid period which followed, up to around 3000 BC. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of sparse settlement by hunter-gatherers in the late Stone Age , followed by a larger population of early Iron Age settlers, who produced dimpled pottery and iron tools. These early inhabitants were

7065-400: Is one of the cleanest cities in Africa. Government policy measures to improve sanitation are limited, focusing only on urban areas. The majority of the population, both urban and rural, use public shared pit latrines . Rwanda's electricity supply was, until the early 2000s, generated almost entirely from hydroelectric sources; power stations on Lakes Burera and Ruhondo provided 90% of

7222-449: Is one of the fastest-growing economic resources and became the country's leading foreign exchange earner in 2007. In spite of the genocide's legacy, the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination. The number of tourist arrivals in 2013 was 864,000 people, up from 504,000 in 2010. Revenue from tourism was US$ 303 million in 2014, up from just US$ 62 million in 2000. The largest contributor to this revenue

7379-458: Is one of the twenty deepest lakes in the world . Other sizeable lakes include Burera , Ruhondo , Muhazi , Rweru , and Ihema , the last being the largest of a string of lakes in the eastern plains of Akagera National Park . Mountains dominate central and western Rwanda and the country is sometimes called " Pays des mille collines " in French ("Land of a thousand hills"). They are part of

7536-671: Is the Rusizi River at 950 metres (3,117 ft) above sea level. Rwanda is located in Central/Eastern Africa, and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and Burundi to the south. It lies a few degrees south of the equator and is landlocked . The capital, Kigali, is located near the centre of Rwanda. The watershed between

7693-504: Is the head of state , and has broad powers including creating policy in conjunction with the Cabinet of Rwanda , commanding the armed forces , negotiating and ratifying treaties, signing presidential orders, and declaring war or a state of emergency. The president is elected every seven years , and appoints the prime minister and all other members of the Cabinet. The Parliament consists of two chambers . It makes legislation and

7850-417: Is the 26th lowest out of 224 countries and territories. The overall sex ratio of the country is 95.9 males per 100 females. At 445 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,150/sq mi), Rwanda's population density is amongst the highest in Africa. Historians such as Gérard Prunier believe that the 1994 genocide can be partly attributed to the population density. The population is predominantly rural, with

8007-430: Is the largest religion in the country; the principal and national language is Kinyarwanda , spoken by native Rwandans, with English, French and Swahili serving as additional official foreign languages. Rwanda's economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture . Coffee and tea are the major cash crops that it exports. Tourism is a fast-growing sector and is now the country's leading foreign exchange earner. As of

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8164-421: Is the only time I have that stillness... it gives me this peaceful feeling, and I love it so much. I can't say enough good things about it. All the benefits that you can achieve from sitting still and going within—it really is a beautiful experience. David Lynch is such a wonderful man to start this foundation to help people." In November 2017, it was announced that President Donald Trump would begin allowing

8321-536: Is the road to the port of Mombasa via Kampala and Nairobi , which is known as the Northern Corridor . The principal form of public transport in the country is the minibus , accounting for more than half of all passenger carrying capacity. Some minibuses, particularly in Kigali, operate an unscheduled service, under a shared taxi system, while others run to a schedule, offering express routes between

8478-617: Is used in the manufacture of electronic and communication devices such as mobile phones. Rwanda's service sector suffered during the late-2000s recession as bank lending, foreign aid projects and investment were reduced. The sector rebounded in 2010, becoming the country's largest sector by economic output and contributing 43.6% of the country's GDP. Key tertiary contributors include banking and finance, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage, communication, insurance, real estate, business services and public administration including education and health. Tourism

8635-621: The Democratic Republic of the Congo were tense following Rwanda's involvement in the First and Second Congo Wars ; the Congolese army alleged Rwandan attacks on their troops, while Rwanda blamed the Congolese government for failing to suppress Hutu rebels in North and South Kivu provinces. In 2010, the United Nations released a report accusing the Rwandan army of committing wide scale human rights violations and crimes against humanity in

8792-555: The Digit Fund , to launch a line of tees and footwear to help gorillas. On August 15, 2018, it was announced that DeGeneres would partner with Walmart to launch a fashion collection under the brand name EV1, a low-cost alternative to her ED Ellen DeGeneres product. The collection officially launched on September 10, 2018, with price points under $ 30. In November 2004, DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign for American Express . Her most recent American Express commercial,

8949-618: The Digit Fund . This gift was part of a new arm of the Digit Fund now called the "Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund". In July 2020, ten former employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show accused DeGeneres of creating a "toxic" on-set atmosphere of "racism, fear, and intimidation", including failing to address executives sexually harassing female employees and making "racist micro-aggressions and abuse" to or about employees of color, firing employees for taking medical and bereavement leave, and replacing her own crew with non- union workers during

9106-599: The East African Community in 2007, and has ratified a plan for monetary union amongst the seven member nations, which could eventually lead to a common East African shilling . Rwanda is a country of few natural resources, and the economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools. An estimated 90% of the working population farms, and agriculture constituted an estimated 32.5% of GDP in 2014. Farming techniques are basic, with small plots of land and steep slopes. Since

9263-611: The Great Rift Valley of East Africa , where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator , Rwanda is bordered by Uganda , Tanzania , Burundi , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is highly elevated, giving it the sobriquet "land of a thousand hills" ( French : pays des mille collines ), with its geography dominated by mountains in

9420-517: The Kingdom of Rwanda . By 1700, around eight kingdoms had existed in the present-day Rwanda. One of these, the Kingdom of Rwanda ruled by the Tutsi Nyiginya clan, became increasingly dominant from the mid-eighteenth century. The kingdom reached its greatest extent during the nineteenth century under the reign of King Kigeli Rwabugiri . Rwabugiri conquered several smaller states, expanded

9577-671: The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor , 20 People's Choice Awards (more than any other person), and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2020 she received the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes for her work on television, becoming the first recipient after its inaugural namesake Carol Burnett . As

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9734-704: The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group composed of Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from their base in Uganda, initiating the Rwandan Civil War . The group condemned the Hutu-dominated government for failing to democratize and confront the problems facing these refugees. Neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage in the war, but by 1992 it had weakened Habyarimana's authority; mass demonstrations forced him into

9891-627: The Rwenzori turaco and handsome spurfowl . Eastern Rwanda, by contrast, features savanna birds such as the black-headed gonolek and those associated with swamps and lakes, including storks and cranes . Recent entomological work in the country has revealed a rich diversity of praying mantises , including a new species Dystacta tigrifrutex , dubbed the "bush tiger mantis". Rwanda contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Albertine Rift montane forests , Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic , and Ruwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands . The country had

10048-585: The University of New Orleans , where she majored in communication studies . After one semester, she left school to do clerical work in a law firm with a cousin, Laura Gillen. Her early jobs included a stint at J. C. Penney and waitressing at TGI Fridays and another restaurant. She also worked as a house painter , a hostess and a bartender. She relates much of her childhood and career experiences in her comedic work. DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy at small clubs and coffee houses. By 1981, she

10205-643: The Volcanoes National Park is mostly bamboo and moorland, with small areas of forest. By contrast, Akagera has a savanna ecosystem in which acacia dominates the flora. There are several rare or endangered plant species in Akagera, including Markhamia lutea and Eulophia guineensis . The greatest diversity of large mammals is found in the three national parks, which are designated conservation areas. Akagera contains typical savanna animals such as giraffes and elephants, while Volcanoes

10362-403: The 11th, and that the singer's soccer jersey has the number 11. She mentioned that she had been looking for videos of performances on YouTube to start her label. The first act she signed to the label was Chance. Forbes estimated DeGeneres's 2020 earnings at US$ 84 million and her net worth at US$ 370 million, making her the 12th-highest-paid entertainer in the world. In 2015, she was named

10519-495: The 2016 sequel to Finding Nemo . DeGeneres's first regular TV role was in a short-lived Fox sitcom called Open House , a spin-off of the show Duet . She played the role of Margo Van Meter, a receptionist at the Juan Verde Real Estate company. The show co-starred Alison LaPlaca and Mary Page Keller . In 1992, producers Neal Marlens and Carol Black cast DeGeneres in their sitcom Laurie Hill , in

10676-707: The 5 years since the August 2018 update, albeit dipping to 32nd place. DeGeneres is a fan of the NFL but does not follow one team; she has shown support for the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers , and she attended a 2011 Saints practice session dressed as Packers Hall of Famer Don Hutson . In 1997, DeGeneres came out as a lesbian. The disclosure of her sexual orientation sparked intense interest by American tabloids. The contentiousness of

10833-560: The 50th-most-powerful woman in the world by Forbes and came second on the World Pride Power list. As of August 2, 2018, she had more than 76 million followers on Twitter and 55.8 million followers on Instagram , making her the tenth-most-followed user on Twitter and the 29th- most-followed user on Instagram ; however, as of November 2023, she slipped down to 75 million Twitter followers (now known as X), placing her 14th, while her Instagram followers have grown to 139 million in

10990-821: The Albertine Rift Mountains that flank the Albertine branch of the East African Rift , which runs from north to south along Rwanda's western border. The highest peaks are found in the Virunga volcano chain in the northwest; this includes Mount Karisimbi , Rwanda's highest point, at 4,507 metres (14,787 ft). This western section of the country lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion. It has an elevation of 1,500 to 2,500 metres (4,921 to 8,202 ft). The centre of

11147-527: The Democratic Republic of the Congo during the First and Second Congo Wars , charges denied by the Rwandan government. Relations soured further in 2012, as Kinshasa accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion , an insurgency in the eastern Congo. As of 2015 , peace has been restored and relations are improving. Rwanda's relationship with Uganda was also tense for much of the 2000s following

11304-805: The Fossey Gorilla Fund is to be a permanent, specially designed facility for scientists who are helping to save mountain gorillas. 6. Fowler, John (2018). A Forest in the Clouds: My Year Among the Mountain Gorillas in the Remote Enclave of Dian Fossey. Pegasus Books. ISBN 9781681776330. Rwanda in Africa  (light blue) Rwanda , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a landlocked country in

11461-480: The Official TV of The Ellen DeGeneres Show for a fifth consecutive season. The New York Times profiled DeGeneres in 2018 as she faced the decision of renewing her talk-show contract and was exploring other outlets for her creativity, including her Netflix comedy special Relatable , which spoofs her kind image. They noted she felt boxed in with a reputation of always being nice, and the host who danced all

11618-556: The Oscar nominees but also to tickle the audience at home." Regis Philbin said in an interview that "the only complaint was there's not enough Ellen." DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast. On August 2, 2013, it was announced that DeGeneres would host the Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, for the second time. A selfie orchestrated by 86th Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres during

11775-562: The RPF-led army was a key belligerent in the First and Second Congo Wars . Within Rwanda, a period of reconciliation and justice began, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the reintroduction of Gacaca , a traditional village court system. Since 2000 Rwanda's economy, tourist numbers, and Human Development Index have grown rapidly; between 2006 and 2011

11932-412: The Rwandan king and perpetuated a pro-Tutsi policy. The Hutu population revolted in 1959. They massacred numerous Tutsi and ultimately established an independent, Hutu-dominated republic in 1962 led by President Grégoire Kayibanda . A 1973 military coup overthrew Kayibanda and brought Juvénal Habyarimana to power, who retained the pro-Hutu policy. The Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched

12089-570: The United States, European Union , Japan, and others. The transport system consists primarily of the road network, with paved roads between Kigali and most other major cities and towns in the country. Rwanda is linked by road to other countries in the East African Community, namely Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya , as well as to the eastern Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu ; the country's most important trade route

12246-589: The abolition of the death penalty, but also alleges interference in the judicial system by members of the government, such as the politically motivated appointment of judges, misuse of prosecutorial power, and pressure on judges to make particular decisions. The constitution provides for two types of courts: ordinary and specialised. Ordinary courts are the Supreme Court , the High Court , and regional courts, while specialised courts are military courts and

12403-604: The air. For much of the duration of the show, DeGeneres was known for dancing with the audience at the beginning of the show and during commercial breaks. She often gave away free prizes and trips to be in her show's studio audience with the help of her sponsors. DeGeneres later stated that she stopped dancing as it became an expectation and too much of a burden. DeGeneres celebrated her thirty-year class reunion by flying her graduating class to California to be guests on her show in February 2006. She presented Atlanta High School with

12560-542: The ancestors of the Twa , aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers who remain in Rwanda today. Then by 3,000BC, Central Sudanic and Kuliak farmers and herders began settling into Rwanda, followed by South Cushitic speaking herders in 2,000BC. The forest-dwelling Twa lost much of their habitat and moved to the mountain slopes. Between 800 BC and 1500 AD, a number of Bantu groups migrated into Rwanda, clearing forest land for agriculture. Historians have several theories regarding

12717-590: The audience. DeGeneres received wider exposure on November 4, 2001, when she hosted the televised broadcast of the Emmy Awards . Presented after two cancellations due to network concerns that a lavish ceremony following the September 11 attacks would appear insensitive, the show required a more somber tone that would also allow viewers to temporarily forget the tragedy. DeGeneres received several standing ovations for her performance that evening, which included

12874-621: The broadcast is the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever. DeGeneres said she wanted to homage Meryl Streep 's record 17 Oscar nominations by setting a new record with her, and invited other Oscar celebrities to join them. The resulting photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour. By the end of the ceremony it had been retweeted over 2 million times, less than 24 hours later, it had been retweeted over 2.8 million times. As of May 2017 , it has been retweeted over 3.4 million times. The group selfie effort

13031-520: The busiest routes being those to Nairobi and Entebbe ; there is one domestic route, between Kigali and Kamembe Airport near Cyangugu . In 2017, construction began on the Bugesera International Airport , to the south of Kigali, which will become the country's largest when it opens, complementing the existing Kigali airport. The national carrier is RwandAir , and the country is served by seven foreign airlines. As of 2015

13188-413: The cables run along major roads, linking towns around the country. Mobile provider MTN also runs a wireless internet service accessible in most areas of Kigali via pre-paid subscription. In October 2019, Mara Corporation launched the first African-made smartphone in Rwanda. The Rwandan government prioritised funding of water supply development during the 2000s, significantly increasing its share of

13345-481: The country had no railways, but there is a project underway, in conjunction with Burundi and Tanzania, to extend the Tanzanian Central Line into Rwanda; the three countries have invited expressions of interest from private firms to form a public private partnership for the scheme. There is no public water transport between the port cities on Lake Kivu, although a limited private service exists and

13502-400: The country is 72.6%, up from 41.6% in 2011. MTN Rwanda is the leading provider, with 3,957,986 subscribers, followed by Tigo with 2,887,328, and Bharti Airtel with 1,336,679. Rwandatel has also previously operated a mobile phone network, but the industry regulator revoked its licence in April 2011, following the company's failure to meet agreed investment commitments. Internet penetration

13659-425: The country is predominantly rolling hills, while the eastern border region consists of savanna , plains and swamps. Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than are typical for equatorial countries because of its high elevation. Kigali, in the centre of the country, has a typical daily temperature range between 15 and 28 °C (59 and 82 °F), with little variation through

13816-521: The country's electricity. A combination of below average rainfall and human activity, including the draining of the Rugezi wetlands for cultivation and grazing, caused the two lakes' water levels to fall from 1990 onwards; by 2004 levels were reduced by 50%, leading to a sharp drop in output from the power stations. This, coupled with increased demand as the economy grew, precipitated a shortfall in 2004 and widespread loadshedding . As an emergency measure,

13973-420: The country's power generation by 40%. Only 18% of the population had access to electricity in 2012, though this had risen from 10.8% in 2009. The government's Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy for 2013–18 aims to increase access to electricity to 70% of households by 2017. The government has increased investment in the transport infrastructure of Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, with aid from

14130-422: The country, little use is made of rainwater harvesting , and residents are forced to use water very sparingly, relative to usage in other African countries. Access to sanitation remains low; the United Nations estimates that in 2006, 34% of urban and 20% of rural dwellers had access to improved sanitation , with this statistic increasing to 92% for the total population (95% urban and 91% urban) in 2022. Kigali

14287-635: The country, including illegal and arbitrary detention, threats or other forms of intimidation, disappearances, politically motivated trials, and the massacre of peacefully protesting civilians. Rwanda is a member of the United Nations , African Union , Francophonie , East African Community , and the Commonwealth of Nations . For many years during the Habyarimana regime, the country maintained close ties with France, as well as Belgium,

14444-428: The delivery of public services as mandated by the districts. Districts and sectors have directly elected councils, and are run by an executive committee selected by that council. The cells and villages are the smallest political units, providing a link between the people and the sectors. All adult resident citizens are members of their local cell council, from which an executive committee is elected. The city of Kigali

14601-607: The district level. The Rwanda Decentralisation Strategic Framework developed by the Ministry of Local Government assigns to provinces the responsibility for "coordinating governance issues in the Province, as well as monitoring and evaluation". Each province is headed by a governor, appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. The districts are responsible for coordinating public service delivery and economic development. They are divided into sectors, which are responsible for

14758-575: The early 1980s and included a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong (1996), EDtv (1999), and The Love Letter (1999), and voiced Dory in the Disney / Pixar animated films Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016). In 2010, she served as a judge on the ninth season of the Fox competition show American Idol . DeGeneres has won

14915-477: The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic . The allegations, which the employees made anonymously to Buzzfeed News , followed previous reports of hostile and bullying behavior, such as a former employee's allegation that DeGeneres fired him for setting up a GoFundMe page to cover medical costs not covered by their workplace health insurance. Months earlier, comedian and podcaster Kevin T. Porter published

15072-520: The east of the country. Rwanda was ranked 104th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024. The largest radio and television stations are state-run, and the majority of newspapers are owned by the government. Most Rwandans have access to radio; during the 1994 genocide, the radio station Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines broadcast across the country, and helped to fuel the killings through anti-Tutsi propaganda. As of 2015 ,

15229-538: The eastern border with Tanzania. The Nyabarongo-Kagera eventually drains into Lake Victoria , and its source in Nyungwe Forest is a contender for the as-yet undetermined overall source of the Nile . Rwanda has many lakes, the largest being Lake Kivu . This lake occupies the floor of the Albertine Rift along most of the length of Rwanda's western border, and with a maximum depth of 480 metres (1,575 ft), it

15386-552: The fifth-cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and 55th-cleanest out of 175 in the world. The constitution provides for an ombudsman , whose duties include prevention and fighting of corruption. Public officials (including the president) are required by the constitution to declare their wealth to the ombudsman and to the public; those who do not comply are suspended from office. Despite this, Human Rights Watch notes extensive political repression throughout

15543-486: The focus of CoverGirl advertisements starting in January 2009. The beauty campaign was DeGeneres's first. In spring 2012, DeGeneres became the spokesperson for J. C. Penney in a tour and advertising campaign. On May 26, 2010, DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She explained her choice of name, claiming that she often sees the number 11:11 when looking at her clocks, that she found singer Greyson Chance on

15700-407: The formation of an alliance with the king, beginning the colonial era. The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy, and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces invaded Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I , and later, in 1922, they started to rule both Rwanda and Burundi as

15857-492: The former colonial power. Under the RPF government, however, Rwanda has sought closer ties with neighbouring countries in the East African Community and with the English-speaking world. Diplomatic relations with France were suspended in 2006 following the indictment of Rwandan officials by a French judge, and despite their restoration in 2010, as of 2015 relations between the countries remain strained. Relations with

16014-531: The gorillas, employing more than 100 staff members, the great majority of whom are Rwandan. Over half of them are involved in research, protection, and monitoring of the gorillas. Others are engaged in biodiversity and socioeconomic research, education, health, and administration. In addition, Karisoke provides the human communities in the area with education, health, and economic development programs. Staff members provide conservation education to primary and secondary school students and to adult community members through

16171-482: The government are widely available in Kigali. Restrictions were increased in the run-up to the Rwandan presidential election of 2010, with two independent newspapers, Umuseso and Umuvugizi , being suspended for six months by the High Media Council . The country's oldest telecommunications group, Rwandatel , went into liquidation in 2011, having been 80% owned by Libyan company LAP Green . The company

16328-529: The government has initiated a programme to develop a full service. The Ministry of Infrastructure is also investigating the feasibility of linking Rwanda to Lake Victoria via shipping on the Akagera River . As of 2015 , the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda estimated Rwanda's population to be 11,262,564, while the projection for 2022 was 13,246,394. The 2012 census recorded

16485-463: The government installed diesel generators north of Kigali; by 2006 these were providing 56% of the country's electricity, but were very costly. The government enacted a number of measures to alleviate this problem, including rehabilitating the Rugezi wetlands, which supply water to Burera and Ruhondo and investing in a scheme to extract methane gas from Lake Kivu, expected in its first phase to increase

16642-501: The importation of elephant trophies from Africa. In response, DeGeneres created a hashtag campaign in partnership with her brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, to donate to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust . She also created a T-shirt with her brand whose proceeds also go to the organization. In January 2018, for DeGeneres's 60th birthday, de Rossi gifted her a permanent gorilla home in Rwanda built in her name for

16799-405: The industry. The industrial sector is small, contributing 14.8% of GDP in 2014. Products manufactured include cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles and cigarettes. Rwanda's mining industry is an important contributor, generating US$ 93 million in 2008. Minerals mined include cassiterite , wolframite , gold, and coltan , which

16956-494: The kingdom west and north, and initiated administrative reforms; these included ubuhake , in which Tutsi patrons ceded cattle, and therefore privileged status, to Hutu or Tutsi clients in exchange for economic and personal service, and uburetwa , a corvée system in which Hutu were forced to work for Tutsi chiefs. Rwabugiri's changes caused a rift to grow between the Hutu and Tutsi populations. The Twa were better off than in pre-Kingdom days, with some becoming dancers in

17113-527: The line: "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?" In August 2005, DeGeneres hosted the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held on September 18, 2005. This was three weeks after Hurricane Katrina , making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy. She also hosted the Grammy Awards in 1996 and in 1997. On September 7, 2006, DeGeneres

17270-619: The lowest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties and quality of life. The population is young and predominantly rural; Rwanda has one of the youngest populations in the world. Rwandans are drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda . However, within this group there are three subgroups: the Hutu , Tutsi and Twa . The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people and are often considered descendants of Rwanda's earliest inhabitants. Christianity

17427-690: The major Congo and Nile drainage basins runs from north to south through Rwanda, with around 80% of the country's area draining into the Nile and 20% into the Congo via the Rusizi River and Lake Tanganyika . The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo , which rises in the south-west, flows north, east, and southeast before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera ; the Kagera then flows due north along

17584-459: The major cities. There are a smaller number of large buses, which operate a scheduled service around the country. The principal private hire vehicle is the motorcycle taxi ; in 2013 there were 9,609 registered motorcycle taxis in Rwanda, compared with just 579 taxicabs . Coach services are available to various destinations in neighbouring countries. The country has an international airport at Kigali that serves several international destinations,

17741-488: The media coverage stunted her professional career and left her "mired in depression". In her book Love, Ellen , DeGeneres's mother Betty describes being initially shocked when DeGeneres came out, but she has since become one of her strongest supporters; she is also an active member of PFLAG and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign 's Coming Out Project. The same year she came out, DeGeneres started

17898-439: The mid-1980s, farm sizes and food production have been decreasing, due in part to the resettlement of displaced people. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, and food imports are required. However, in recent years with the growth of agriculture, the situation has improved. Subsistence crops grown in the country include matoke (green bananas), which occupy more than

18055-426: The most recent survey in 2019/20, 48.8% of the population continues to be affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 22.7% vulnerable to it. Major export markets include China, Germany, and the United States. The economy is managed by the central National Bank of Rwanda and the currency is the Rwandan franc ; in December 2023, the exchange rate was 1250 francs to one United States dollar. Rwanda joined

18212-545: The most recent survey in 2019/20, 48.8% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 22.7% vulnerable to it. The country is a member of the African Union , the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations (one of few member states that does not have any historical links with the British Empire ), COMESA , OIF and the East African Community . Modern human settlement of what

18369-418: The mountain gorillas, numerous science and research projects, various education initiatives, and community health and development projects. Since its establishment in 1967, Karisoke has produced an unparalleled amount of information about the mountain gorillas and their habitat and attracts scientists and science students from around the world. Karisoke is also a significant resource for the people who live near

18526-521: The mountain gorillas.[6] The site was closed down during the genocide and civil war in Rwanda when most of the workers became refugees in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Most Karisoke trackers lost their homes and possessions in the war, and some saw family members murdered. Some were imprisoned when they returned home. Rwandan staff continued to monitor the gorillas during this period whenever possible. By 1998 Karisoke’s expatriate staff had evacuated five times. The facility

18683-604: The national budget. This funding, along with donor support, caused a rapid increase in access to safe water; in 2015, 74% of the population had access to safe water, up from about 55% in 2005; the government has committed to increasing this to 100% by 2017. The country's water infrastructure consists of urban and rural systems that deliver water to the public, mainly through standpipes in rural areas and private connections in urban areas. In areas not served by these systems, hand pumps and managed springs are used. Despite rainfall exceeding 750 millimetres (30 in) annually in most of

18840-505: The nature of the Bantu migrations; one theory is that the first settlers were Hutu , while the Tutsi migrated later to form a distinct racial group, possibly of Nilo-hamitic origin. An alternative theory is that the migration was slow and steady, with incoming groups integrating into rather than conquering the existing society. Under this theory, the Hutu and Tutsi distinction arose later and

18997-590: The night in a hospital. DeGeneres told her mother about the abuse a few years later, but Betty did not believe her, and remained married to Gruessendorf for 18 years afterward. She finally realized that DeGeneres had been telling the truth when his accounts of his behavior toward his stepdaughter kept changing. Gruessendorf died in 1997. DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School in May 1976, after completing her first years of high school at Grace King High School in Metairie. She moved back to New Orleans to attend

19154-497: The northern part) as a UN trust territory after the Second World War , with a mandate to oversee eventual independence . Tensions escalated between the Tutsi, who favoured early independence, and the Hutu emancipation movement, culminating in the 1959 Rwandan Revolution : Hutu activists began killing Tutsi and destroying their houses, forcing more than 100,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. In 1961,

19311-435: The numbers of each. Production systems are mostly traditional, although there are a few intensive dairy farms around Kigali. Shortages of land and water, insufficient and poor-quality feed, and regular disease epidemics with insufficient veterinary services are major constraints that restrict output. Fishing takes place on the country's lakes, but stocks are very depleted, and live fish are being imported in an attempt to revive

19468-532: The old system and the genocide. The previous structure of twelve provinces associated with the largest cities was replaced with five provinces based primarily on geography. These are Northern Province , Southern Province , Eastern Province , Western Province , and the Municipality of Kigali in the centre. The five provinces act as intermediaries between the national government and their constituent districts to ensure that national policies are implemented at

19625-539: The orders of the interim government. Many Twa were also killed, despite not being directly targeted. The Tutsi RPF restarted their offensive, and took control of the country methodically, gaining control of the whole country by mid-July. The international response to the genocide was limited, with major powers reluctant to strengthen the already overstretched UN peacekeeping force . When the RPF took over, approximately two million Hutu fled to neighbouring countries , in particular Zaïre , fearing reprisals; additionally,

19782-562: The organization's efforts in animal protection legislation. In 2009, PETA named her their "Woman of the Year". In April 2013, she donated $ 25,000 to stop Ag-Gag anti-whistleblower legislation in Tennessee, which would prohibit undercover investigators from recording footage of animal abuse on farms. In 2010, DeGeneres served as campaign ambassador to Farm Sanctuary 's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, asking people to start "a new tradition by adopting

19939-594: The population had fallen to 242 individuals, from a 1960 estimate of 400–500. As of 2010, 45 years later, some 480 mountain gorillas are known to inhabit the Virunga mountains (according to a census), a significant increase. Karisoke survived Fossey's murder in 1985 as well as years of civil strife and also expanded tremendously over the past few decades. In his book A Forest in the Clouds , John Fowler describes Fossey's remote mountain gorilla camp, Karisoke Research Center,

20096-404: The population in 2009, the Tutsi 15% and Twa 1%. The Twa are a pygmy people who descend from Rwanda's earliest inhabitants, but scholars do not agree on the origins of and differences between the Hutu and Tutsi. Anthropologist Jean Hiernaux contends that the Tutsi are a separate race, with a tendency towards "long and narrow heads, faces and noses"; others, such as Villia Jefremovas, believe there

20253-473: The population is drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda ; this contrasts with most modern African states, whose borders were drawn by colonial powers and did not correspond to ethnic boundaries or pre-colonial kingdoms. Within the Banyarwanda people, there are three separate groups, the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. The CIA World Factbook gives estimates that the Hutu made up 84% of

20410-433: The poverty rate reduced from 57% to 45%, while life expectancy rose from 46.6 years in 2000 to 65.4 years in 2021. In 2009, Rwanda joined the Commonwealth of Nations , although the country was never part of the British Empire . Rwanda is a de facto one-party state ruled by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and its leader Paul Kagame continuously since the end of the civil war in 1994. Although Rwanda

20567-532: The remaining animals were poisoned by cattle herders. In June 2015, two South African parks donated seven lions to Akagera National Park , reestablishing a lion population in Rwanda. The lions were held initially in a fenced-off area of the park, and then collared and released into the wild a month later. Eighteen endangered black rhinos were brought to Rwanda in 2017 from South Africa. After positive results, five more black rhinos were delivered to Akagera National Park from zoos all over Europe in 2019. Similarly,

20724-440: The role of Nurse Nancy MacIntyre. The series was canceled after only four episodes, but Marlens and Black soon cast her in their next ABC pilot, These Friends of Mine , which they co-created with David S. Rosenthal . Inspired by her comedy career, These Friends of Mine was renamed Ellen after the first season. The ABC show was popular in its first few seasons due in part to DeGeneres's style of observational humor ; it

20881-539: The royal court, but their numbers continued to decline. The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to the German Empire , who declared it to be part of German East Africa . In 1894, explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to cross the entire territory of Rwanda; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king. In 1897, Germany established a presence in Rwanda with

21038-556: The same-sex marriage ban in California, DeGeneres and de Rossi were engaged, and married in August 2008, at their home in Beverly Hills, California , where they live with their four dogs and three cats. The passage of Proposition 8 cast doubt on the legal status of their marriage, but a subsequent California Supreme Court judgment validated it because it occurred before November 4, 2008. On August 6, 2010, de Rossi filed

21195-581: The state-run Radio Rwanda was the largest station and the main source of news throughout the country. Television access is limited, with most homes not having their own set. The government rolled out digital television in 2014, and a year later there were seven national stations operating, up from just one in the pre-2014 analogue era. The press is tightly restricted, and newspapers routinely self-censor to avoid government reprisals. Nonetheless, publications in Kinyarwanda, English, and French critical of

21352-670: The subject five times before one sentence had finished. For her performance as Dory, DeGeneres won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress , Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards , and the Annie Award from the International Animated Film Association, for Outstanding Voice Acting. She was also nominated for a Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress . She also provided

21509-453: The suddenly pro-Hutu Belgians held a referendum in which the country voted to abolish the monarchy. Rwanda was separated from Burundi and gained independence on 1 July 1962, which is commemorated as Independence Day, a national holiday. Cycles of violence followed, with exiled Tutsi attacking from neighbouring countries and the Hutu retaliating with large-scale slaughter and repression of the Tutsi. In 1973, Juvénal Habyarimana took power in

21666-702: The territory in the Stone and Iron Ages , followed later by Bantu peoples . The population coalesced first into clans , and then into kingdoms. In the 15th century, one kingdom, under King Gihanga, managed to incorporate several of its close neighbor territories establishing the Kingdom of Rwanda . The Kingdom of Rwanda dominated from the mid-eighteenth century, with the Tutsi kings conquering others militarily, centralising power, and enacting unifying policies. In 1897, Germany colonized Rwanda as part of German East Africa , followed by Belgium , which took control in 1916 during World War I . Both European nations ruled through

21823-568: The three groups. Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( / d ə ˈ dʒ ɛ n ər ə s / də- JEN -ər-əs ; born January 26, 1958), also known mononymously as just Ellen , is an American retired comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She starred in the television sitcoms Ellen (1994–1998) and The Ellen Show (2001–2002). She also hosted the syndicated television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022), for which she received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards . DeGeneres' stand-up comedy career started in

21980-630: The time. DeGeneres—who acknowledges that she has always been overly sensitive—fretted how her audience would react when she no longer wanted to dance. Her Christian Scientist upbringing included her father's psyche , "He was a very fearful man, he couldn't hear or engage with anything unpleasant." On May 12, 2021, DeGeneres announced that she would end her talk show following the conclusion of its nineteenth season in 2022. The show aired its final episode on May 26, 2022, with Jennifer Aniston , Pink and Billie Eilish appearing as guests, while Portia de Rossi and other members of DeGeneres' family sat in

22137-887: The voice of the dog in the prologue of the Eddie Murphy feature film Dr. Dolittle . Her win of the Saturn Award marked the second time the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has given an acting award to a voice performance; Robin Williams had previously won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Genie in Aladdin . DeGeneres reprised her role in Finding Dory ,

22294-468: The wake of New Imperialism , promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races . In 1935, Belgium introduced an identity card system, which labelled each individual as either Tutsi, Hutu, Twa or Naturalised. While it had been previously possible for particularly wealthy Hutu to become honorary Tutsi, the identity cards prevented any further movement between the classes. Belgium continued to rule Ruanda-Urundi (of which Rwanda formed

22451-417: The west and savanna to the southeast, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. It is the most densely populated mainland African country; among countries larger than 10,000 km , it is the fifth-most densely populated country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Kigali . Hunter-gatherers settled

22608-592: The west and northwest of the country receiving more precipitation annually than the east and southeast. Global warming has caused a change in the pattern of the rainy seasons. According to a report by the Strategic Foresight Group, change in climate has reduced the number of rainy days experienced during a year, but has also caused an increase in frequency of torrential rains. Both changes have caused difficulty for farmers, decreasing their productivity. Strategic Foresight also characterise Rwanda as

22765-476: The white rhino population is growing in Rwanda. In 2021, Rwanda received 30 white rhinos from South Africa with the goal of Akagera being a safe breeding ground for the near-threatened species. There are 670 bird species in Rwanda , with variation between the east and the west. Nyungwe Forest, in the west, has 280 recorded species, of which 26 are endemic to the Albertine Rift; endemic species include

22922-492: The year. There are some temperature variations across the country; the mountainous west and north are generally cooler than the lower-lying east. There are two rainy seasons in the year; the first runs from February to June and the second from September to December. These are separated by two dry seasons : the major one from June to September, during which there is often no rain at all, and a shorter and less severe one from December to February. Rainfall varies geographically, with

23079-503: Was mountain gorilla tracking, in the Volcanoes National Park; Rwanda is one of only three countries in which mountain gorillas can be visited safely; the gorillas attract thousands of visitors per year, who are prepared to pay high prices for permits. Other attractions include Nyungwe Forest, home to chimpanzees, Ruwenzori colobus and other primates, the resorts of Lake Kivu, and Akagera, a small savanna reserve in

23236-424: Was a class distinction rather than a racial one. The earliest form of social organisation in the area was the clan ( ubwoko ). The clans were not limited to genealogical lineages or geographical area, and most included Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. From the 15th century, the clans began to merge into kingdoms. One kingdom, under King Gihanga, managed to incorporate several of its close neighbor territories establishing

23393-477: Was acquired in 2013 by Liquid Telecom , a company providing telecommunications and fibre optic networks across eastern and southern Africa. As of 2015 , Liquid Telecom provides landline service to 30,968 subscribers, with mobile operator MTN Rwanda serving an additional 15,497 fixed line subscribers. Landlines are mostly used by government institutions, banks, NGOs and embassies, with private subscription levels low. As of 2015 , mobile phone penetration in

23550-496: Was destroyed three times, rebuilt twice, and eventually relocated to Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri). Despite the constant threat of war, Karisoke continued to upgrade its capacity for scientific research through new technology and new partnerships with local authorities and other conservation organizations. The gorillas survived the war years in good condition, despite the greatly increased number of snares set by poachers. The buildings, now in ruins and overgrown by vegetation, are still

23707-602: Was interred in the grounds of the institute. The camp subsequently continued to function under the auspices of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International . In 2012, Karisoke moved its headquarters to a more modern facility in Musanze . At the time Fossey founded Karisoke, she feared that the mountain gorilla might become extinct by the end of the 20th century, as her mentor, Dr. Louis Leakey , had warned. A census published in 1981 found that

23864-408: Was launched in February 2017, and a cat line was introduced later that year. In November 2017, the brand launched a collection to benefit DeGeneres' #BeKindToElephants campaign featuring a tee and baby one piece, donating 100% of the proceeds to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust . Then, DeGeneres created a line with her brand to benefit the newly created Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, a member of

24021-413: Was often referred to as a "female Seinfeld ". Ellen reached its height of popularity in April 1997, when DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show . Her character on the sitcom also came out of the closet to her therapist , played by Oprah Winfrey . The coming-out episode, titled " The Puppy Episode ", was one of the highest-rated episodes of the show. The series returned for

24178-492: Was parodied by Lego and Matt Groening with The Simpsons . It beat the previous record, which was held by Barack Obama , following his victory in the 2012 presidential election . On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres headlined the third annual "Change Begins Within" gala for the David Lynch Foundation held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. DeGeneres represents a line of products on QVC ,

24335-419: Was quickly given the more positive-sounding name Ellen's Energy Adventure . The ride closed permanently on August 13, 2017. DeGeneres provided the voice of Dory, a friendly fish with short-term memory loss , in the 2003 animated Disney / Pixar film Finding Nemo . The film's director, Andrew Stanton , said that he offered the role to DeGeneres because he had seen an episode of her show where she changed

24492-714: Was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007. This makes her the first openly gay person to have hosted the event. During the Awards show, DeGeneres said, "What a wonderful night, such diversity in the room, in a year when there's been so many negative things said about people's race, religion, and sexual orientation. And I want to put this out there: If there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars, or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that." Reviews of her hosting gig were positive, with one saying, "DeGeneres rocked, as she never forgot that she wasn't just there to entertain

24649-481: Was the emcee at Clyde's Comedy Club in New Orleans. DeGeneres cites Woody Allen and Steve Martin as her main influences at this time. In the early 1980s she began to tour nationally, and in 1984 she was named Showtime 's funniest person in America. DeGeneres lists Lucille Ball , Carol Burnett and Bob Newhart among her comedic influences. After a 15-year hiatus from performing comedy, DeGeneres appeared in

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