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Ruanda-Urundi
1922-1962 League of Nations/United Nations mandate in East Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruanda-Urundi was a part of German East Africa. Belgian troops invaded during World War I. The military occupation lasted from 1916 to 1924 when the territory came under Belgian rule. In 1964 it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.
Quick Facts Territory of Ruanda-Urundi, Status ...
Territory of Ruanda-Urundi | |||||||||||
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1916-1962 | |||||||||||
![]() Ruanda-Urundi (dark green) depicted within the Belgian colonial empire (light green), c. 1935 | |||||||||||
Status | Mandate of Belgium | ||||||||||
Capital | Usumbura | ||||||||||
Common languages | French (official) Also: Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and Swahili | ||||||||||
Religion | Catholicism Also: Protestantism, Islam and others | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Belgian invasion | April 1916 | ||||||||||
• Mandate created | 20 July 1922 | ||||||||||
• Administrative merger with Belgian Congo | 1 March 1926 | ||||||||||
• Mandate becomes Trust Territory | 13 December 1946 | ||||||||||
• Rwanda gains autonomy | 18 October 1960 | ||||||||||
• Burundi gains autonomy | 21 December 1961 | ||||||||||
• Independence | 1 July 1962 | ||||||||||
Currency | Belgian Congo franc (1916–60) Ruanda-Urundi franc (1960–62) | ||||||||||
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