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

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Background: In 1959 three years before independence 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 (RPF) and began a civil war in 1990. The war along with several political and economic upheavals exacerbated ethnic tensions culminating in April 1994 in a genocide in which roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the genocide in July 1994 but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi Tanzania Uganda and Zaire now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC). Since then most of the refugees have returned. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - including Rwanda's first ever local elections held in March 1999 - 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 DROC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts.


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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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

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

Natural resources: gold cassiterite (tin ore) wolframite (tungsten ore) methane hydropower arable land

Land use

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 Birunga 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: 7,229,129
Growth rate: 1.14% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 51.2% (1993 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Hutu 84% Tutsi 15% 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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.14% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 34.78 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 20.95 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 120.06 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 5.07 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic; presidential multiparty system

Capital: Kigali

Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (in French - prefectures singular - prefecture; in Kinyarwanda - plural - NA singular - prefegitura); Butare Byumba Cyangugu Gikongoro Gisenyi Gitarama Kibungo Kibuye Kigali Kigali-ville Umutara Ruhengeri

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Independence Day 1 July (1962); Liberation Day 4 July (1994)

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 multiparty 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: 18 years of age; universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale de Transition (a power-sharing body with 70 seats established on 12 December 1994 following a multiparty protocol of understanding; members were predetermined by the Arusha peace accord)

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

Political parties and leaders: Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Jean-Nipomuscene NAYINZIRA]; Democratic and Socialist Party or PSD [Charles NIAKIRUTINKA Juvenal NKSUI Jacqueline MUHONGAYRIE]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [Pierre Celestin RWIGEMA chairman]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Agnes NTAMABYALIRO]; National Repulican Movement for Democracy and Development or MRNDD (formerly known as the National Movement for Democracy and Development or MRND [Mathieu NGIRUMPATSE]; Rwanda Patriotic Army or RPA [Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME commander]; Rwandan Patriotic Front or FPR [Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME]; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR [leader NA]

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 OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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 rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa; is landlocked; and has few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary exports 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 significant progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. In June 1998 Rwanda signed an Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) with the IMF. Rwanda has also embarked upon an ambitious privatization program with the World Bank. Continued growth in 2000 depends on the maintenance of international aid levels and the strengthening of world prices of coffee and tea.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $720 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries: cement agricultural products small-scale beverages soap furniture shoes plastic goods textiles cigarettes

Industrial production growth rate: 8.7% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 3.6 million
By occupation agriculture: 90% (the rest is employed in government, services, industry and commerce)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 51.2% (1993 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 10% (1998)

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: $70.8 million (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: coffee tea hides tin ore
Partners: Brazil Germany Belgium Pakistan Spain Kenya

Imports: $242 million (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and equipment steel petroleum products cement and construction material
Partners: Kenya Tanzania US Benelux France

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.2 billion (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1 - 349.53 (January 2000) 333.94 (1999) 312.31 (1998) 301.53 (1997) 306.82 (1996) 262.20 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 159 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 165 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 3 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 20 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 15,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: telephone system primarily serves business and government

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $92 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 3.8% (FY99)

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: 8 (1999 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: Rwandan military forces are supporting the rebel forces in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs