RWANDA
MARCH 25, 2009 BY RANG WHAM
| Introduction | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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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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| Geography | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 30 00 E
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Map references:
Africa
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Area:
total: 26,338 sq km
land: 24,668 sq km water: 1,670 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km |
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Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
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Climate:
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
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Terrain:
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
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Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m |
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Natural resources:
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
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Land use:
arable land: 45.56%
permanent crops: 10.25% other: 44.19% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2008)
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Total renewable water resources:
5.2 cu km (2003)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.15 cu km/yr (24%/8%/68%)
per capita: 17 cu m/yr (2000) |
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
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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 |
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Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural
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| People | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Population:
11,370,425 (July 2011 est.)
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 |
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Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 2,454,924/female 2,418,504)
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.) |
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Median age:
total: 18.7 years
male: 18.5 years female: 19 years (2011 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
2.792% (2011 est.)
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Birth rate:
36.74 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
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Death rate:
9.88 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
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Net migration rate:
1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
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Urbanization:
urban population: 19% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
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Major cities - population:
KIGALI (capital) 909,000 (2009)
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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 (2011 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
total: 64.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 67.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 60.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.02 years
male: 56.57 years female: 59.52 years (2011 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (2011 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.9% (2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
170,000 (2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2009 est.)
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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) |
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Drinking water source:
improved: urban: 77% of population rural: 62% of population total: 65% of population unimproved: urban: 23% of population rural: 38% of population total: 35% of population (2008) |
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Sanitation facility access:
improved: urban: 50% of population rural: 55% of population total: 54% of population unimproved: urban: 50% of population rural: 45% of population total: 46% of population (2008) |
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Nationality:
noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan |
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Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%
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Religions:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
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Languages:
Kinyarwanda (official, universal Bantu vernacular), French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili, used in commercial centers)
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Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4% male: 76.3% female: 64.7% (2003 est.) |
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years female: 11 years (2009) |
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Education expenditures:
4.1% of GDP (2008)
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People - note:
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
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| Government | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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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 |
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Government type:
republic; presidential, multiparty system
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Capital:
name: Kigali
geographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 04 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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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)
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Independence:
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
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National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
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Constitution:
new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003
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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
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International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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% |
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts; District Courts; mediation committees
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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]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)
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International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, 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, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James KIMONYO
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON
embassy: 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 596-400 FAX: [250] 596-591 |
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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
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National anthem:
name: "Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country) lyrics/music: Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA note: adopted 2001 |
| Economy | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12.16 billion (2010 est.)
$11.42 billion (2009 est.) $10.97 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.622 billion (2010 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
6.5% (2010 est.)
4.1% (2009 est.) 11.2% (2008 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,100 (2010 est.)
$1,100 (2009 est.) $1,100 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
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GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 42.1%
industry: 14.3% services: 43.6% (2010 est.) |
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Labor force:
4.446 million (2007)
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Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000) |
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Unemployment rate:
NA%
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Population below poverty line:
60% (2001 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 38.2% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.8 (2000)
28.9 (1985)
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Investment (gross fixed):
22% of GDP (2010 est.)
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Budget:
revenues: $1.449 billion
expenditures: $1.471 billion (2010 est.) |
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Taxes and other revenues:
25.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
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Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-0.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2010 est.)
10.4% (2009 est.)
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Central bank discount rate:
11.25% (31 December 2008)
12.5% (31 December 2007)
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16% (31 December 2010 est.)
16% (31 December 2009 est.)
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Stock of narrow money:
$535.3 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$512.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
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Stock of broad money:
$1.243 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
$1.068 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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Stock of domestic credit:
$533.1 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$490.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
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Industries:
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
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Industrial production growth rate:
7.5% (2010 est.)
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Electricity - production:
120 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
231.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
10 million kWh (2007)
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Electricity - imports:
130 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
6,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
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Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports:
5,623 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
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Current account balance:
-$629.3 million (2010 est.)
-$379 million (2009 est.)
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Exports:
$234.2 million (2010 est.)
$193 million (2009 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
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Exports - partners:
Kenya 33.4%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 13.4%, China 7%, Thailand 6.1%, US 5.4%, Swaziland 5.4%, Belgium 5.1%, Pakistan 4.2% (2009)
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Imports:
$1.113 billion (2010 est.)
$961 million (2009 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
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Imports - partners:
Kenya 16.6%, Uganda 15%, UAE 6.9%, China 6.6%, Belgium 5.6%, Germany 4.9%, Tanzania 4.8%, Sweden 4% (2009)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$812.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$742.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
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Debt - external:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$747 million (31 December 2009 est.)
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Exchange rates:
Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar -586.25 (2010),568.18 (2009),550 (2008),585 (2007),560 (2006)
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| Communications | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
33,500 (2009)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.429 million (2009)
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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) |
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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)
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Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 3 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters and the third FM program is a 24 hour BBC program), shortwave 1 (2002)
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Television broadcast stations:
NA
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Internet country code:
.rw
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Internet hosts:
815 (2010)
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Internet users:
450,000 (2009)
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| Transportation | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Airports:
9 (2010)
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Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2010) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2010) |
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Roadways:
total: 14,008 km
paved: 2,662 km unpaved: 11,346 km (2004) |
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Waterways:
(Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft) (2009)
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Ports and terminals:
Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
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| Military | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Military branches:
Rwandan Defense Force (RDF): Rwandan Army (Rwandan Land Force), Rwandan Air Force (2011)
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Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship required (2011)
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Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,625,917
females age 16-49: 2,608,110 (2010 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,685,066
females age 16-49: 1,749,580 (2010 est.) |
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 110,736
female: 110,328 (2010 est.) |
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Military expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
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| Transnational Issues | Rwanda | Top of Page |
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Disputes-international:
Burundi and Rwanda dispute two sq km (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 sides of the border remains in place
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 46,272 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,400 (Burundi) (2007) |
This page was last updated on 14 May 2009