Rwanda

§1. 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.

§2. Rwanda Geography

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 km²
  land: 24,948 km²
  water: 1,390 km²

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:
  40 km² (1998 est.)

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
  signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

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

§3. Rwanda 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 growth rate:
  2.43% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  40.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  16.09 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 89.61 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 94.71 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 47.3 years
  male: 46.26 years
  female: 48.38 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.43 children born/woman (2006 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.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, 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

§4. Rwanda 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 type:
  republic; presidential, multiparty system

Capital:
  Kigali

Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - 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 holiday:
  Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

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 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;
    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 branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 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 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 (officially banned) [Celestin KABANDA]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI
  [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic
  Renewal (officially banned) [leader NA]; 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, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, 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 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

§5. Rwanda Economy

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 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $11.26 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.846 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 37.6%
  industry: 22.8%
  services: 39.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  4.6 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 90%

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):
  8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  18.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $509.9 million
  expenditures: $584.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    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:
  98 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  121.1 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  30 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  6,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  56.63 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-79 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $98 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  coffee, tea, hides, tin ore

Exports - partners:
  Indonesia 64.2%, China 3.6%, Germany 2.7% (2004)

Imports:
  $243 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
  Kenya 24.4%, Germany 7.4%, Belgium 6.6%, Uganda 6.3%, France 5.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $300 million (2005 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 - 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004), 537.66 (2003),
  476.33 (2002), 442.8 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Rwanda Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  23,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  138,700
  note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several
    provincial capitals (2004)

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:
  1,588 (2005)

Internet users:
  38,000 (2005)

§7. Rwanda Transportation

Airports:
  9 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4
  over 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 3 (2005)

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 terminals:
  Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

§8. Rwanda Military

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 (2005 est.)

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $53.66 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.9% (2005 est.)

§9. Rwanda Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic 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 internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 45,460 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of the
    Congo, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest) (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
