Idjwi, or Ijwi, is an inland island in Lake Kivu which forms part of South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At 70 km in length and with an area of 340 km2, it is the second-largest lake island in Africa and the tenth largest in the world. Idjwi is roughly equidistant between the Congo and Rwanda, with 10 to 15 km separating its western shore from the DRC mainland and a similar distance between its eastern shore and the coastline of Rwanda. The island's southern tip, however, lies only 1 km from a promontory of the Rwandan coast.

History

Historically a clan-based Bahavu society, Idjwi island became a kingdom in the late 18th century (roughly between 1780 and 1840).

Demographics

In 2017, the island was estimated to have a population of 290,000, mostly Havus, with a small Pygmy minority. This is a massive increase from the estimated population of 50,000 in 1983. Malnutrition is common, especially among children, and almost all of the population is dependent on subsistence agriculture.

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