from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Rwanda
Introduction
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 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 the former Zaire. Since
then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but
about 10,000 remain in neighboring Democratic Republic
of the Congo and have formed an extremist insurgency
bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990.
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 - the country continues to struggle to
boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic
reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived
Tutsi political dominance. Kigali's increasing
centralization and intolerance of dissent, the nagging
Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and
Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in the
neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continue
to hinder Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy.
Geography
Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the
Congo
Geographic 2 00 S, 30 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 26,338 sq km
land: 24,948 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Maryland
comparative:
Land total: 893 km
boundaries: border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic
of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
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 lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
extremes: highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Natural gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore),
resources: methane, hydropower, arable land
Land use: arable land: 45.56%
permanent crops: 10.25%
other: 44.19% (2005)
Irrigated 90 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are
hazards: in the northwest along the border with Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Environment - deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of
current trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil
issues: erosion; widespread poaching
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland
note: with the population predominantly rural
People
Population: 8,648,248
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,817,998/female 1,802,134)
15-64 years: 55.6% (male 2,392,778/female 2,417,467)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,325/female 130,546)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.6 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.43% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 40.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 16.09 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 89.61 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 94.71 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 84.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 47.3 years
expectancy at male: 46.26 years
birth: female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)
Total 5.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 5.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 250,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 22,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
diseases: hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)
Nationality: noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups: Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%,
Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
Languages: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular,
French (official), English (official), Kiswahili
(Swahili) used in commercial centers
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4%
male: 76.3%
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
People - note: Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Government
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 republic; presidential, multiparty system
type:
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 12 provinces (in French - provinces, singular -
divisions: province; in Kinyarwanda - prefigintara for singular
and plural); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro,
Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali Rurale,
Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
holiday:
Constitution: new constitution adopted 4 June 2003
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal adult
Executive chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April
branch: 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA
(since 8 March 2000)
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 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%
Legislative bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12
branch: members elected local councils, 8 appointed by the
president, 4 by the Political Organizations Forum, 2
represent institutions of higher learning, 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, to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held NA, members appointed as
part of the transitional government (next to be held in
2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held 29 September
2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: seats by party under the 2003
Constitution - RPF 40, PSD 7, PL 6, additional 27
members indirectly elected
Judicial Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial
branch: Courts; District Courts; mediation committees
Political Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA];
parties and Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien
leaders: RANGIRA]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR
[Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned); Islamic
Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party
or PL [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal
(officially banned); Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF
[Paul KAGAME]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent
BIRUTA]
Political IBUKA - association of genocide survivors
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
participation: Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
representation chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Michael ARIETTI
representation embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
from the US: mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali
telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03
FAX: [250] 57 2128
Flag three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width),
description: yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near
the fly end of the blue band
Economy
Economy - Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the
overview: population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture.
It is the most densely populated country in Africa and
is 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. Despite Rwanda's fertile
ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace
with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda
continues to receive substantial aid money and obtained
IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC)
initiative debt relief in 2005. Kigali's high defense
expenditures have caused tension between the government
and international donors and lending agencies. An
energy shortage and instability in neighboring states
may slow growth in 2006, while the lack of adequate
transportation linkages to other countries continues to
handicap export growth.
GDP $12.54 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $1.817 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 5.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,500 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 40.1%
composition by industry: 22.9%
sector: services: 37% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.6 million (2000)
Labor force - agriculture: 90%
by occupation: industry and services: 10%
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population 60% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 4.2%
income or highest 10%: 24.2% (1985)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 28.9 (1985)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 8% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 18.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $509.9 million
expenditures: $584.6 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from
products: chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes;
livestock
Industries: cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages,
soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles,
cigarettes
Industrial 7% (2001 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 98 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 2.3%
production by hydro: 97.7%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 121.1 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 30 million kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 6,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 0 bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-166 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $98 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
commodities:
Exports - Germany 11%, China 6.5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $243 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum
commodities: products, cement and construction material
Imports - Kenya 23.8%, Uganda 6.2%, Belgium 5.4%, Germany 5.3%
partners: (2005)
Reserves of $357 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $1.4 billion (2004 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $425 million (2003)
recipient:
Currency Rwandan franc (RWF)
(code):
Currency code: RWF
Exchange Rwandan francs per US dollar - 610 (2005), 574.62
rates: (2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002), 442.8 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 23,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 290,000
mobile note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali
cellular: and several provincial capitals (2005)
Telephone general assessment: telephone system primarily serves
system: business 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
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 AM 0, FM 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through
broadcast a system of repeaters, three international FM programs
stations: include the BBC, VOA, and Deutchewelle), shortwave 1
(2005)
Radios: 601,000 (1997)
Television 2 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: NA; probably less than 1,000 (1997)
Internet .rw
country code:
Internet 1,590 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 38,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 9 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 5
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 2
runways: under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Roadways: total: 12,000 km
paved: 996 km
unpaved: 11,004 km (1999)
Waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native
craft (2005)
Ports and Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
terminals:
Military
Military Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force
branches:
Military 16 years of age for voluntary military service; no
service age conscription (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 16-49: 2,004,750
available for females age 16-49: 1,990,935 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 16-49: 1,103,823
for military females age 16-49: 1,096,644 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $53.66 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.9% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic
international: 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; DROC and Rwanda established a border
verification mechanism in 2005 to address accusations
of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the
Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the
means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004,
Rwandan refugees lived in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 45,460 (Democratic
internally Republic of the Congo)
displaced IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic
persons: Republic of the Congo, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest)
(2005)