[a] Idjwi is roughly equidistant between the Congo and Rwanda, with 10 to 15 kilometres (6 to 9 mi) 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 kilometre (0.62 mi) from a promontory of the Rwandan coast.

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

[1] In 2017, the island was estimated to have a population of 290,000, mostly Havus, with a small Pygmy minority.

Malnutrition is common, especially among children, and almost all of the population is dependent on subsistence agriculture.