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 in length and with an area of , 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 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 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 2013, the island was estimated to have a population of 252,000, 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.