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 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 (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 state-orchestrated genocide in which Rwandans killed up to a million of their fellow citizens including approximately three-quarters of the Tutsi population. The genocide ended later that same year when the predominantly Tutsi RPF operating out of Uganda and northern Rwanda defeated the national army and Hutu militias and established an RPF-led government of national unity. 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 but several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda much as the RPF tried in 1990. Rwanda held its first local elections in 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in 2003. Rwanda in 2009 staged a joint military operation with the Congolese Army in DRC to rout out the Hutu extremist insurgency there and Kigali and Kinshasa restored diplomatic relations. Rwanda also joined the Commonwealth in late 2009.


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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: 26,338 km²
Rank: 149
Land: 24,668 km²
Water: 1670 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) methane hydropower arable land

Land use
Arable land: 45.56%
Permanent crops: 10.25%
Other: 44.19% (2005)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 5.2 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo
Volcanism: Visoke (elev. 3,711 m) located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the country's only historically active volcano

Geography
Note: landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural


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Population: 11,370,425 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 73
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: 2.792% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 16
Below poverty line: 60% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Rwandan
Adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 84% Tutsi (Hamitic) 15% Twa (Pygmy) 1%

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 56.5% Protestant 26% Adventist 11.1% Muslim 4.6% indigenous beliefs 0.1% none 1.7% (2001)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.9%
15-64 years: 54.7% (male 3,097,956/female 3,123,910)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 110,218/female 164,913) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.7 years
Male: 18.5 years
Female: 19 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.792% (2011 est.)
Rank: 16

Birth rate: 36.74 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 22

Death rate: 9.88 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Net migration rate: 1.06 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 19% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 64.04 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 25
Male: 67.64 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 60.32 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.02 years
Rank: 192
Male: 56.57 years
Female: 59.52 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 23

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.024 physicians/1000 population (2005)
Rank: 185

Hospital bed density: 1.6 beds/1000 population (2007)
Rank: 117

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.9% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 25
People living with hivaids: 170,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 31
Deaths: 4,100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 43

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18% (2005)
Rank: 41

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 101

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 70.4%
Male: 76.3%
Female: 64.7% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda
Conventional short form: Rwanda
Local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
Local short form: Rwanda
Former: Ruanda German East Africa

Government type: republic; presidential multiparty system

Capital
Name: Kigali
Geographic coordinates: 1 57 S 30 04 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces (in French - provinces singular - province; in Kinyarwanda - intara for singular and plural) and 1 city* (in French - ville; in Kinyarwanda - umujyi); Est (Eastern) Kigali* Nord (Northern) Ouest (Western) Sud (Southern)

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Independence Day 1 July (1962)

Constitution: new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law based on German and Belgian models and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Paul KAGAME
Head of government: Prime Minister Pierre Damien HABUMUREMYI (since 7 October 2011)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 9 August 2010 (next to be held in 2017)
Election results: Paul KAGAME elected to a second term as president; Paul KAGAME 93.1% Jean NTAWUKURIRYAYO 5.1% Prosper HIGIRO 1.4% Alvera MUKABAR 0.4%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members elected by local councils 8 appointed by the president 4 appointed by the Political Organizations Forum 2 represent institutions of higher learning; members to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80 seats; 53 members elected by popular vote 24 women elected by local bodies 3 selected by youth and disability organizations; members to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - NA; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 15 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2013)
Election results: percent of vote by party - RPF 78.8% PSD 13.1% PL 7.5%; seats by party - RPF 42 PSD 7 PL 4 additional 27 members indirectly elected

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts; District Courts; mediation committees

Political parties and leaders: Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Agnes MUKABARANGA]; Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Gonzague RWIGEMA]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned); Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Musa Fazil HARERIMANA]; Liberal Party or PL [Protais MITALI]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned); Party for Progress and Concord or PPC [Alvera MUKABARAMBA]; Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR [Jean Baptist RUCIBIGANGO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]; Socialist Party-Imberakuri or PS-Imberakuri [Christine MUKABUNANI]; Solidarity and Prosperity Party or PSP [Pheobe KANYANGE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C CEPGL COMESA EAC EADB FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIF OPCW UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNISFA UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador James KIMONYO
In the us chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW Washington DC 20,009
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 Donald W. KORAN
From the us embassy: 2,657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie Kigali
From the us mailing address: B. P. 28 Kigali
From the us telephone: [250] 596-400
From the us fax: [250] 596-591

Flag description: three horizontal bands of sky blue (top double width) yellow and green with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band; blue represents happiness and peace yellow economic development and mineral wealth green hope of prosperity and natural resources; the sun symbolizes unity as well as enlightenment and transparency from ignorance

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Rwanda nziza'
Lyricsmusic: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA
Note: adopted 2001

National heritage


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Economy overview: Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture and some mineral and agro-processing. Tourism is now Rwanda's primary foreign exchange earner and in 2008 minerals overtook coffee and tea as Rwanda's primary export. Minerals exports declined 40% in 2009-10 due to the global economic downturn. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base severely impoverished the population particularly women and temporarily stalled 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. GDP has rebounded with an average annual growth of 7-8% since 2003 and inflation has been reduced to single digits. Nonetheless a significant percent of the population still live below the official poverty line. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem food production often does not keep pace with demand requiring food imports. Agricultural production has increased significantly over the last three years and last year Rwanda was self sufficient in food production. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005-06. In recognition of Rwanda's successful management of its macro economy in 2010 the IMF graduated Rwanda to a Policy Support Instrument (PSI). Rwanda also received a Millennium Challenge Threshold Program in 2008. Africa's most densely populated country is trying to overcome the limitations of its small landlocked economy by leveraging regional trade. Rwanda joined the East African Community and is aligning its budget trade and immigration policies with its regional partners. The government has embraced an expansionary fiscal policy to reduce poverty by improving education infrastructure and foreign and domestic investment and pursuing market-oriented reforms. Energy shortages instability in neighboring states and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap private sector growth. The Rwandan government is seeking to become regional leader in information and communication technologies. In 2010 Rwanda neared completion of the first modern Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kigali. The SEZ seeks to attract investment in all sectors but specifically in agribusiness information and communications technologies trade and logistics mining and construction. The global downturn hurt export demand and tourism but economic growth is recovering driven in large part by the services sector and inflation has been contained. On the back of this growth government is gradually ending its fiscal stimulus policy while protecting aid to the poor.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 142
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 45

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 209
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33.6%
Industry: 14.3%
Services: 52.1% (2010 est.)

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: 7.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 50

Labor force: 4.446 million (2007)
Rank: 81
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10% (2000)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 60% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.1%
Highest 10: 38.2% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 28.9 (1985)
Rank: 33

Budget
Revenues: $1.449 billion
Expenditures: $1.471 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 49

Taxes and other revenues: 25.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 119

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 10.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 71

Central bank discount rate: 11.25% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 24

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 16% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 39

Stock of narrow money: $512.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 159

Stock of broad money: $1.068 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 158

Stock of domestic credit: $490.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 164

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$379 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 119

Exports: $193 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 177
Commodities: coffee tea hides tin ore
Partners: Kenya 36.6% Democratic Republic of the Congo 14.7% China 9.1% Swaziland 5.9% US 5.3% Pakistan 4.6% (2010)

Imports: $961 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 170
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and equipment steel petroleum products cement and construction material
Partners: Kenya 19.6% Uganda 17.7% UAE 8.4% Tanzania 5.7% China 5.3% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $742.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 138

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 160 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 185
Consumption: 236.8 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 176
Exports: 2 million kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 88 million kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 117
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 119
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 168
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 176
Proven reserves: 56.63 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 64

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 39,700 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 171
Mobile cellular: 3.549 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 116

Telephone system
General assessment: small inadequate telephone system primarily serves business education and government
Domestic: the capital Kigali is connected to the centers of the provinces by microwave radio relay and recently by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density has increased to about 25 telephones per 100 persons
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)

Broadcast media: government owns and operates the only TV station; government-owned and operated Radio Rwanda has a national reach; 9 private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .rw
Hosts: 815 (2010)
Hosts rank: 171
Users: 450,000 (2009)
Users rank: 118

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 48

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship required (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 9 (2010)
Rank: 161
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 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 14,008 km
Rank: 125
Paved: 2,662 km
Unpaved: 11,346 km (2004)

Waterways: (Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft) (2009)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Cyangugu Gisenyi Kibuye


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Disputes international: Burundi and Rwanda dispute two km² (0.8 sq mi) of Sabanerwa a farmed area in the Rukurazi Valley where the Akanyaru/Kanyaru River shifted its course southward after heavy rains in 1965; fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels armed gangs and various government forces in Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade ago due largely to UN peacekeeping international mediation and efforts by local governments to create civil societies; nonetheless 57,000 Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states including Zambia Gabon and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 to escape drought and recriminations from traditional courts investigating the 1994 massacres; the 2005 DROC and Rwanda border verification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both s

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 46,272 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,400 (Burundi) (2007)

Illicit drugs