Map of Rwanda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Following the outbreak of genocidal strife in Rwanda in April 1994 between Tutsi and Hutu factions, more than 2 million refugees fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire, now called Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the UN High Commission on Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1,300,000 Hutus returned to Rwanda; of these, 720,000 returned from Democratic Republic of the Congo, 480,000 from Tanzania, 88,000 from Burundi, and 10,000 from Uganda.


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Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 26,340 km²
Land: 24,950 km²
Water: 1,390 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 893 km
Border countries: (4) Burundi 290 km; , Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km; , Tanzania 217 km; , Uganda 169 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January; mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
Extremes highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 35%
Permanent crops: 13%
Permanent pastures: 18%
Forests and woodland: 22%
Other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geography
Note: landlocked; predominantly rural population


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Population: 7,956,172 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 2.5% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Rwandan(s)
Adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic groups: Hutu 80%, Tutsi 19%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

Languages: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Religions: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,785,650; female 1,772,609)
15-64 years: 53% (male 2,070,401; female 2,106,809)
65 years and over: 2% (male 90,941; female 129,762) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.5% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.99 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 19 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Note: following the outbreak of genocidal strife in Rwanda in April 1994 between Tutsi and Hutu factions, more than 2 million refugees fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire; according to the UN High Commission on Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1,300,000 Hutus returned to Rwanda; of these 720,000 returned from Democratic Republic of the Congo, 480,000 from Tanzania, 88,000 from Burundi, and 10,000 from Uganda; probably fewer than 100,000 Rwandans remained outside of Rwanda at the end of 1997

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 113.31 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 41.93 years
Male: 41.49 years
Female: 42.4 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.86 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 60.5%
Male: 69.8%
Female: 51.6% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
Conventional short form: Rwanda
Local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
Local short form: Rwanda

Government type: republic; presidential, multiparty system

Capital: Kigali

Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (prefectures, singular_prefecture in French; plural - NA, singular_prefegitura in Kinyarwanda; Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Kigaliville, Umutara, Ruhengeri

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution: on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted a new constitution which included elements of the constitution of 18 June 1991 as well as provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord and the November 1994 multi-party protocol of understanding

Legal system: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994); Vice President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since 19 July 1994): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since 1 September 1995)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held in December 1988 (next to be held NA); prime minister is appointed by the president
Election results: Juvenal HABYARIMANA elected president; percent of vote_99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate)
Note: President HABYARIMANA was assassinated on 6 April 1994 and replaced by President BIZIMUNGU who was installed by the military forces of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front on 19 July 1994

Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale de Transition (70 seats; members were predetermined by the Arusha peace accord to serve NA-year terms)
Elections: last held 26 December 1988 (next to be held NA); note_the Transitional National Assembly is a power-sharing body established on 12 December 1994 following a multi-party protocol of understanding
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_RPF 19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2; note_the distribution of seats was predetermined

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene N. RUDASINGWA
In the us chancery: (temporary) 1814 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-2,882
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-4,544
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert GRIBBIN III
From the us embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
From the us mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
From the us telephone: [250] 756 01 through 03, 721 26, 771 47
From the us fax: [250] 721 28

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Rwanda is a poor African nation that has suffered bitterly from ethnic-based civil war. The agricultural sector dominates the economy; coffee and tea normally make up 80%-90% of exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion continue to reduce the production potential. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. Civil war in 1990 devastated wide areas, especially in the north, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A peace accord in mid-1993 temporarily ended most of the fighting, but resumption of large-scale violence and genocide in April 1994 in the capital city Kigali and elsewhere took 500,000 lives in that year alone and severely damaged already poor economic prospects. In 1994-96, peace was restored throughout much of the country. In 1996-97 most of the refugees who fled the war returned to Rwanda. Sketchy data suggest that GDP dropped 50% in 1994 and came back partially, by 25%, in 1995. Plentiful rains helped agriculture in 1996, and outside aid continued to support this desperately poor economy. The economy continues to face significant challenges in rehabilitating infrastructure, agriculture, health care facilities, and capital plant. Recovery of domestic production will proceed slowly.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 13.3% (1996)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $440 (1996 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 37%
Industry: 17%
Services: 46% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Industries: mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, processing of agricultural products, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (1995 est.)

Labor force
Total: 3.6 million
By occupation agriculture: 93%
By occupation governmentand services: 5%
By occupation industry and commerce: 2%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $231 million
Expenditures: $319 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: total value:$62.3 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: coffee 74%, tea, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum (1995)
Partners: Brazil, EU

Imports: total value:$202.4 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs 35%, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material (1995)
Partners: US, EU, Kenya, Tanzania

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1 billion (December 1995)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1_302.28 (January 1998), 301.53 (1997), 306.82 (1996), 262.20 (1995), 144.31 (1993)


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Electricity
Capacity: 34,000 kW (1995)
Production: 169 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 21 kWh (1995)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 6,400 (1983 est.)

Telephone system: telephone system does not provide service to the general public but is intended for business and government use
Domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay; the remainder of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone
International: 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)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $112.5 million (1992)
Percent of gdp: 7% (1992)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 7 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs