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Background:
|
 In
1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the
majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi
king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were
killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring
countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel
group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, and began a civil war in
1990. The war, along with several political and economic
upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April
1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate
Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the
killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu
refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to
neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. Since then,
most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda. Despite
substantial international assistance and political reforms -
including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and its
first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in
August and September 2003, respectively - the country
continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural
output and to foster reconciliation. A series of massive
population displacements, a nagging Hutu extremist insurgency,
and Rwandan involvement in two wars over the past four years
in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continue
to hinder Rwanda's efforts. |
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Location:
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Central
Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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2 00
S, 30 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
26,338 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 24,948 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Maryland |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic
of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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temperate;
two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January);
mild in mountains with frost and snow possible |
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Terrain:
|
mostly
grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude
declining from west to east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold,
cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane,
hydropower, arable land |
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Land use:
|
arable
land: 32.43%
permanent crops: 10.13%
other: 57.44% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
|
40 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
|
periodic
droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest
along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Environment - current issues:
|
deforestation
results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel;
overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread
poaching |
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Environment - international agreements:
|
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
|
Geography - note:
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landlocked;
most of the country is savanna grassland with the population
predominantly rural |
|
Population:
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7,954,013
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can
result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
42.3% (male 1,690,122; female 1,674,147)
15-64 years: 55% (male 2,178,956; female 2,194,526)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 85,472; female 130,790)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.2 years
male: 18 years
female: 18.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.82% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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40.01
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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21.86
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
101.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 96.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 106.68 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 39.18 years
male: 38.43 years
female: 39.96 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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8.9% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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500,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
49,000 (2001
est.) |
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Nationality:
|
noun:
Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Hutu 84%, Tutsi
15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic
56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%,
indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001) |
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Languages:
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Kinyarwanda
(official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official),
English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial
centers |
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Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
male: 76.3%
total population: 70.4% |
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People - note:
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Rwanda is the
most densely populated country in Africa |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
former: Ruanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda |
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Government type:
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republic;
presidential, multiparty system |
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Capital:
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Kigali |
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Administrative divisions:
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12 prefectures
(in French - prefectures, singular - prefecture; in
Kinyarwanda - plural - NA, singular - prefegitura); Butare,
Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo,
Kibuye, Kigali Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri |
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Independence:
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1 July 1962 (from
Belgium-administered UN trusteeship) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
1 July (1962) |
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Constitution:
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on 5 May 1995,
the Transitional National Assembly adopted as Fundamental Law
the constitution of 18 June 1991, provisions of the 1993
Arusha peace accord, the July 1994 Declaration by the Rwanda
Patriotic Front, and the November 1994 multiparty protocol of
understanding |
|
Legal system:
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based on German
and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA
(since 8 March 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held NA
2008)
election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in
first direct popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin
TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%, Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33% |
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Legislative branch
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unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (53 seats; members
elected by direct vote)
elections: last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held
NA)
election results: seats by party under the Arusha peace
accord - RPF 40, PSD 7, PL 6 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court;
communal courts; appeals courts |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Centrist
Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]; Democratic Popular
Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA ]; Democratic
Republican Movement or MDR (officially banned) [Celestin
KABANDA]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA];
Liberal Party or PL [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic
Renewal (officially banned) [Pasteur BIZIMUNGU and Charles
NTAKARUTINKA]; Rwanda Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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IBUKA -
association of genocide survivors |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC
20009 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Margaret K. McMILLION
embassy: #337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03
FAX: [250] 57 2128 |
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Economy - overview:
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Rwanda is a poor
rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in
(mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely
populated country in Africa; landlocked with few natural
resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange
earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated
Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the
population, particularly women, and eroded the country's
ability to attract private and external investment. However,
Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and
rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although
poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded, and
inflation has been curbed. Export earnings, however, have been
hindered by low beverage prices, depriving the country of much
needed hard currency. Attempts to diversify into
non-traditional agriculture exports such as flowers and
vegetables have been stymied by a lack of adequate
transportation infrastructure. Despite Rwanda's fertile
ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with
population growth, requiring food to be imported. Rwanda
continues to receive substantial aid money and was approved
for IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC)
initiative debt relief in late 2000. But Kigali's high defense
expenditures cause tension between the government and
international donors and lending agencies. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $10.11 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.5% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,300 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
45%
industry: 20%
services: 35% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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60% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.6 million
(2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 90% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$199.3 million
expenditures: $445 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
|
Industries:
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cement,
agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture,
shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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96.78 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
2.3%
hydro: 97.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
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140 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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5,300 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
28.32 billion cu
m (1 January 2002) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, tea,
pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas,
beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock |
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Exports:
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$73.33 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, tea,
hides, tin ore |
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Exports - partners:
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Indonesia 37.5%,
Hong Kong 6.9%, China 3.5% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$245.8 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs,
machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and
construction material |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Kenya 23.2%,
Belgium 8.3%, Germany 6.6% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.3 billion
(2000 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$372.9 million
(1999) |
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Currency:
|
Rwandan franc (RWF) |
|
Currency code:
|
RWF |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Rwandan francs
per US dollar - 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002), 442.8 (2001),
389.7 (2000), 333.94 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
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23,200
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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110,800
note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali
and several prefecture capitals (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and
government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the
centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay and,
recently, by cellular telephone service; much of the network
depends on wire and HF radiotelephone
international: country code - 250; international
connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring
countries and satellite communications to more distant
countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 0,
FM 3 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of
repeaters and the third FM program is a 24 hour BBC program),
shortwave 1 (2002) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
NA |
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Internet country code:
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.rw |
|
Internet hosts:
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1,233
(2002) |
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Internet users:
|
25,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total:
12,000 km
paved: 996 km
unpaved: 11,004 km (1999 est.) |
|
Waterways:
|
note: Lac
Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft |
|
Ports and harbors:
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Cyangugu, Gisenyi,
Kibuye |
|
Airports:
|
9 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
Rwandan Defense
Forces (Army, Air Forces) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 1,973,713 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,004,296 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$47.7 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.9% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
|
Tutsi, Hutu, Hema,
Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces
continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the
boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and
natural resources - government heads pledge to end conflicts,
but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping
efforts |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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