1998 Edition

Area

total: 26,340 sq km land: 24,950 sq km water: 1,390 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Environment-current issues

deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion

Environment-international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography-note

landlocked; predominantly rural population

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 893 km border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

Land use

arable land: 35% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 22% other: 12% (1993 est.)

Location

Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower

Terrain

mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 1,785,650; female 1,772,609) 15-64 years: 53% (male 2,070,401; female 2,106,809) 65 years and over: 2% (male 90,941; female 129,762) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

38.99 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

19 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

Hutu 80%, Tutsi 19%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

Infant mortality rate

113.31 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 41.93 years male: 41.49 years female: 42.4 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60.5% male: 69.8% female: 51.6% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan

Net migration rate

5.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) note: following the outbreak of genocidal strife in Rwanda in April 1994 between Tutsi and Hutu factions, more than 2 million refugees fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire; according to the UN High Commission on Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1,300,000 Hutus returned to Rwanda; of these 720,000 returned from Democratic Republic of the Congo, 480,000 from Tanzania, 88,000 from Burundi, and 10,000 from Uganda; probably fewer than 100,000 Rwandans remained outside of Rwanda at the end of 1997

Population

7,956,172 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

2.5% (1998 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.86 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

12 prefectures (prefectures, singular-prefecture in French; plural - NA, singular-prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Kigaliville, Umutara, Ruhengeri

Constitution

on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted a new constitution which included elements of the constitution of 18 June 1991 as well as provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord and the November 1994 multi-party protocol of understanding

Country name

conventional long form: Rwandese Republic conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda

Data code

RW

Executive branch

chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994); Vice President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since 19 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since 1 September 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held in December 1988 (next to be held NA); prime minister is appointed by the president election results: Juvenal HABYARIMANA elected president; percent of vote-99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate) note: President HABYARIMANA was assassinated on 6 April 1994 and replaced by President BIZIMUNGU who was installed by the military forces of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front on 19 July 1994

FAX

[1] (202) 232-4544 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert GRIBBIN III embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 756 01 through 03, 721 26, 771 47

[250] 721 28

Flag description

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

Government type

republic; presidential, multiparty system

Independence

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene N. RUDASINGWA chancery: (temporary) 1814 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session Political parties and leaders: significant parties include: Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Alexis KANYARENGWE, chairman]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR; Liberal Party or PL; Democratic and Socialist Party or PSD; Christian Democratic Party or PDC; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI; Rwandan Socialist Party or PSR; National Movement for Democracy and Development or MRND (former ruling party) Political pressure groups and leaders: Rwanda Patriotic Army or RPA, the RPF military wing [Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME, commander]; Rally for the Democracy and Return (RDR)

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 Transitional National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale de Transition (70 seats; members were predetermined by the Arusha peace accord to serve NA-year terms) elections: last held 26 December 1988 (next to be held NA); note-the Transitional National Assembly is a power-sharing body established on 12 December 1994 following a multi-party protocol of understanding election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPF 19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2; note-the distribution of seats was predetermined

National capital

Kigali

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Agriculture-products

coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock

Budget

revenues: $231 million expenditures: $319 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1996 est.)

Currency

1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes

Debt-external

$1 billion (December 1995)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA note: in October 1990 Rwanda launched a Structural Adjustment Program with the IMF; since September 1991, the EU has given $46 million and the US $25 million in support of this program (1993)

Economy-overview

Rwanda is a poor African nation that has suffered bitterly from ethnic-based civil war. The agricultural sector dominates the economy; coffee and tea normally make up 80%-90% of exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion continue to reduce the production potential. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. Civil war in 1990 devastated wide areas, especially in the north, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A peace accord in mid-1993 temporarily ended most of the fighting, but resumption of large-scale violence and genocide in April 1994 in the capital city Kigali and elsewhere took 500,000 lives in that year alone and severely damaged already poor economic prospects. In 1994-96, peace was restored throughout much of the country. In 1996-97 most of the refugees who fled the war returned to Rwanda. Sketchy data suggest that GDP dropped 50% in 1994 and came back partially, by 25%, in 1995. Plentiful rains helped agriculture in 1996, and outside aid continued to support this desperately poor economy. The economy continues to face significant challenges in rehabilitating infrastructure, agriculture, health care facilities, and capital plant. Recovery of domestic production will proceed slowly.

Electricity-capacity

34,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

21 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

169 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1-302.28 (January 1998), 301.53 (1997), 306.82 (1996), 262.20 (1995), 144.31 (1993)

Exports

total value: $62.3 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: coffee 74%, tea, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum (1995) partners: Brazil, EU

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 37% industry: 17% services: 46% (1995 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$440 (1996 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

13.3% (1996)

Imports

total value: $202.4 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs 35%, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material (1995) partners: US, EU, Kenya, Tanzania

Industrial production growth rate

4.9% (1995 est.)

Industries

mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, processing of agricultural products, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Inflation rate-consumer price index

7.4% (1996)

Labor force

total: 3.6 million by occupation: agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and commerce 2%

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

630,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

telephone system does not provide service to the general public but is intended for business and government use domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay; the remainder of the 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)

Telephones

6,400 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

7 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 12,000 km paved: 1,000 km unpaved: 11,000 km (1997 est.)

Railways

0 km

Waterways

Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft Ports and harbors: Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye

Military branches

Army, Gendarmerie

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$112.5 million (1992)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

7% (1992)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,892,503 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 963,218 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none (dependent territory of the UK)