Home > Appendix
Get A Large Static Flag Rwanda
Flag of Rwanda
Map of Rwanda
Introduction Rwanda
Background:
 In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, majority ethnic group, Hutus, overthrew ruling Tutsi king. Over next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, Rwandan Patriotic Front, and began a civil war in 1990. war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Tutsi rebels defeated Hutu regime and ended killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. Since then, most of refugees have returned to Rwanda. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - includes Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 - 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 past four years in neighboring DROC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts.
Geography Rwanda
Location:
 Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of Congo
Geographic coordinates:
 2 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
 Africa
Area:
 total: 26,338 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 24,948 sq km
Area - comparative:
 slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
 total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of 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: 32.43%
permanent crops: 10.13%
other: 57.44% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 40 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 periodic droughts; volcanic Virunga mountains are in northwest along border with Democratic Republic of 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of Sea
Geography - note:
 landlocked; most of country is savanna grassland with population predominantly rural
People Rwanda
Total Population:
 7,810,056
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account 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 distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
 0-14 years: 42.5% (male 1,667,128; female 1,651,422)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 2,128,495; female 2,148,694)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 85,576; female 128,741) (2003 est.)
Median age:
 total: 18.1 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.3 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
 1.84% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
 40.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
 21.72 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.66 male(s)/female
Population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
 total: 102.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 97.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 107.66 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy:
 Population: 39.33 years
male: 38.51 years
female: 40.18 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
 5.6 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
 8.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
 500,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
 49,000 (2001 est.)
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
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
male: 76.3%
Population: 70.4%
People - note:
 Rwanda is most densely populated country in Africa
Government Rwanda
Country name:
 conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
former: Ruanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
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 Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri
Independence:
 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
 Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
 on 5 May 1995, Transitional National Assembly adopted as Fundamental Law constitution of 18 June 1991, provisions of 1993 Arusha peace accord, July 1994 Declaration by Rwanda Patriotic Front, and 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 Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
 18 years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
 chief of state: President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (FPR) (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
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 (RPF) 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%, Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%
Legislative branch:
 unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (53 seats; members elected by direct vote)
elections: last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held NA)
election results: seats by party under Arusha peace accord - FPR 40, PSD 7, PL 6
Judicial branch:
 Supreme Court; communal courts; appeals courts
Political parties and leaders:
 Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Jean-Nipomuscene NAYINZIRA]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [J. Damascene NTAWUKURIRYAYO]; Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [leader NA]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL [Pie MUGABO]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned) [Pasteur BIZIMUNGU and Charles NTAKARUTINKA]; Rwanda Patriotic Front or FPR [Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME]; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
 IBUKA - association of genocide survivors
International organization participation:
 ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from US:
 chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret K. McMILLION
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 fly end of blue band
Economy Rwanda
Economy - overview:
 Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is most densely populated country in Africa; landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished population, particularly women, and eroded countries 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. Export earnings, however, have been hindered by low beverage prices, depriving country of much needed hard currency. Attempts to diversify into non-traditional agriculture exports such as flowers and vegetables have been stymied by a lack of adequate transportation infrastructure. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food to be imported. Rwanda continues to receive substantial amounts of aid money and previously approved for IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in late 2000. But Kigali's high defense expenditures cause tension between government and international donors and lending agencies.
GDP:
 buying power parity - $8.92 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
 9.7% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
 buying power parity - $1,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
 agriculture: 45%
industry: 20%
services: 35% (2002 est.)
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):
 5.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
 4.6 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
 agriculture 90%
Unemployment rate:
 NA%
Budget:
 revenues: $199.3 million
expenditures: $445 million, includes capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries:
 cement, agricultural products, limited -scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate:
 7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
 96.78 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
 fossil fuel: 2.3%
hydro: 97.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
 140 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
 50 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
 5,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
 NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
 NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
 0 bbl (37257)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
 28.32 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
 coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
Exports:
 $68 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
 coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
Exports - partners:
 Indonesia 30.8%, Germany 14.6%, Hong Kong 9%, South Africa 5.5% (2002)
Imports:
 $253 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
 foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
Imports - partners:
 Kenya 21.8%, Germany 8.4%, Belgium 7.9%, Israel 4.3% (2002)
Debt - external:
 $1.3 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
 $372.9 million (1999)
Currency:
 Rwandan franc (RWF)
Currency code:
 RWF
Exchange rates:
 Rwandan francs per US dollar - 475.37 (2002), 442.99 (2001), 389.7 (2000), 333.94 (1999), 312.31 (1998)
Fiscal year:
 calendar year
Communications Rwanda
Telephones - main lines in use:
 600,000 note - 90% in Kigali (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
 81,000 (2001)
note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several prefecture capitals (2002)
Telephone system:
 general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and government
domestic: capital, Kigali, is connected to centers of prefectures by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular telephone service; much of network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone
international: 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 3 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters and third FM program is a 24 hour BBC program), shortwave 1 (2002)
Radios:
 601,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
 NA
Televisions:
 NA; probably less than 1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
 .rw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
 2 (2002)
Internet users:
 20,000 (2002)
Transportation Rwanda
Railways:
 0 km
Highways:
 total: 12,000 km
paved: 996 km
unpaved: 11,004 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
 note: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Ports and harbors:
 Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
Airports:
 9 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
 total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
 total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Military Rwanda
Military branches:
 Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
Military manpower - availability:
 males age 15-49: 1,932,637 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
 males age 15-49: 982,909 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
 $59.57 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 3% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Rwanda
Disputes - international:
 Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of 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