1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Coastline
none — landlocked
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Maryland
Environment
deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts
Land boundaries
893 km total; Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km
Land use
29% arable land; 1 1 % permanent crops; 1 8% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Maritime claims
none — landlocked
Natural resources
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower
Note
landlocked
Terrain
mostly grassy uplands and hills; mountains in west
Total area
26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2
Total area
50km
People and Society
Birth rate
53 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
1 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Infant mortality rate
1 1 3 deaths/ 1 ,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
3,600,000; 93% agriculture, 5% government and services, 2% industry and commerce; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Language
Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Life expectancy at birth
50 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Literacy
46.6%
Nationality
noun and adjective — Rwandan(s)
Net migration rate
0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA
Population
7,609,119 (July 1990), growth rate 3. 8% (1990)
Religion
Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
Total fertility rate
8.5 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 prefectures (prefectures, singular — prefecture in French; plural — NA, singular — prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
Capital
Kigali
Communists
no Communist party
Constitution
17 December 1978
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882; US — Ambassador Leonard H. O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [205] 75601 through 75603 or 72126 through 72128
Elections
President — last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results— President Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana reelected; National Development Council — last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results — MRND is the only party; seats— (70 total); MRND 70
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
Independence
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court (consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government— President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973) Political parties and leaders: only party — National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana (officially a development movement, not a party)
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Development Council (Conseil pour le Developpement National)
Long-form name
Republic of Rwanda
Member of
ACP, AfDB, EAMA, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Suffrage
universal adult, exact age NA
Type
republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices
Economy
Agriculture
cash crops — coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from Rwanda (continued) chrysanthemums); main food crops — bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country imports foodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in population
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $58 million
Budget
revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)
Currency
Rwandan franc (plural — francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
Electricity
26,000 kW capacity; 1 1 2 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1— 78.99 (December 1989), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64 (1986), 101.26(1985) Fiscal yean calendar year
Exports
$118 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum; partners — FRG, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
External debt
$645 million (December 1989 est.)
GDP
$2.3 billion, per capita $325; real growth rate -2.5% (1988 est.)
Imports
$278 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material; partners — US, Belgium, FRG, Kenya, Japan
Industrial production
growth rate 1 .2% (1988)
Industries
mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (1988)
Overview
About 40% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have created problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing less than 20% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
8 total, 8 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m
Branches
Army, paramilitary, Gendarmerie
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
Defense expenditures
2.1% of GDP (1987)
Highways
4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved
Inland waterways
Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,586,989; 810,560 fit for military service; no conscription
Telecommunications
fair system with lowcapacity radio relay system centered on Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations— 2 AM, 5 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE Defense Forces