Postage stamps and postal history of Rwanda


This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Rwanda. The Republic of Rwanda is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.

Colonial issues

The first stamps used in the area now known as Rwanda were stamps of German East Africa which was the colonial power in the area until 1916 when Belgian troops seized the territory during the First World War. Stamps of Ruanda-Urundi were then used until independence.

Independence

The first stamps of independent Rwanda were issued on 1 July 1962.