Rwanda

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Introduction - Rwanda:
Country	Rwanda


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 several thousand remained in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire) and formed an extremist insurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - including Rwandas 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. Kigalis 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 Rwandas efforts to escape its bloody legacy.


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

Geographic coordinates	2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references	Africa

Area	total: 26,338 sq km land: 24,948 sq km water: 1,390 sq km

Area comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries	total: 893 km border countries: 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 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 sq km (2003)

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

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

Environment international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

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

People - Rwanda:
Population	9,907,509 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 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 41.9% (male 2,082,474/female 2,065,251) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 2,748,189/female 2,765,767) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 98,796/female 147,032) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 18.6 years male: 18.4 years female: 18.8 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	2.766% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	40.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	14.91 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	2.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.008 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.994 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.672 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 85.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 79.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 48.99 years male: 47.87 years female: 50.16 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	5.37 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	5.1% (2003 est.)

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	250,000 (2003 est.)

Hiv aids deaths	22,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality	noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan

Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007)

Ethnic groups	Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 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 - Rwanda:
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika yu 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	5 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; in Kinyarwanda - prefigintara for singular and plural); East, Kigali, North, South, West

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	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

Executive branch	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: 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 in 2010) 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 branch	bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members elected by 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 - 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 branch	Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts; District Courts; mediation committees

Political parties and leaders	Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien 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 pressure groups and leaders	IBUKA - association of genocide survivors

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

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544

Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Michael ARIETTI embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03 FAX: [250] 57 2128

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

Economy - Rwanda:
Economy overview	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 and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwandas fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded the countrys 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 Rwandas 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 2005-06. Rwanda also received Millennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. Kigalis high defense expenditures have caused tension between the government and international donors and lending agencies. Energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap growth.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$13.7 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$1.968 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	5.8% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$1,600 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 39.4% industry: 23.3% services: 37.3% (2006 est.)

Labor force	4.6 million (2000)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10%

Unemployment rate	NA%

Population below poverty line	60% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 24.2% (1985)

Distribution of family income gini index	28.9 (1985)

Inflation rate consumer prices	6.7% (2006 est.)

Investment gross fixed	19.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget	revenues: $560.9 million expenditures: $654 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 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% (2001 est.)

Electricity production	93 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	196.5 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	10 million kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	120 million kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	5,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl (1 January 2005)

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas proved reserves	56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance	-$104.1 million (2006 est.)

Exports	$135.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports commodities	coffee, tea, hides, tin ore

Exports partners	China 10.2%, Germany 9.6%, US 4.3% (2006)

Imports	$390.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material

Imports partners	Kenya 19.7%, Germany 7.8%, Uganda 6.9%, Belgium 5% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$422.8 million (2006 est.)

Debt external	$1.4 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid recipient	$425 million (2003)

Currency code	Rwandan franc (RWF)

Exchange rates	Rwandan francs per US dollar - 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002)

Communications - Rwanda:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	22,000 (2005)

Telephones mobile cellular	290,000 (2005)

Telephone system	general assessment: telephone system primarily serves 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 broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters, three international FM programs include the BBC, VOA, and Deutchewelle), shortwave 1 (2005)

Television broadcast stations	2 (2004)

Internet country code	.rw

Internet hosts	1,590 (2006)

Internet users	65,000 (2006)

Transportation - Rwanda:
Airports	9 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports with unpaved runways	total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Roadways	total: 14,008 km paved: 2,662 km unpaved: 11,346 km (2004)

Waterways	Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2006)

Ports and terminals	Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

Military - Rwanda:
Military branches	Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force

Military service age and obligation	16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service	males age 16-49: 2,004,750 females age 16-49: 1,990,935 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 16-49: 1,103,823 females age 16-49: 1,096,644 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	2.9% (2005 est.)

Disputes international	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 sides of the border remains in place