2014 Edition

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 former 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 did 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. In January 2013, Rwanda assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.

Area

26,338 sq km 24,668 sq km 1,670 sq km

total

26,338 sq km

water

1,670 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

Rusizi River 950 m Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

highest point

Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

lowest point

Rusizi River 950 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands Law of the Sea

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

0.15 cu km/yr (33%/11%/55%) 17.25 cu m/yr (2005)

per capita

17.25 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.15 cu km/yr (33%/11%/55%)

Geographic coordinates

2 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural

Irrigated land

96.25 sq km (2007)

Land boundaries

893 km Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

border countries

Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

total

893 km

Land use

46.32% 9.49% 44.19% (2011)

arable land

46.32%

other

44.19% (2011)

permanent crops

9.49%

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 Visoke (elev. 3,711 m), located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano

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

Natural resources

gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

9.5 cu km (2011)

Age structure

42.1% (male 2,617,472/female 2,575,429) 18.9% (male 1,166,258/female 1,167,934) 32.5% (male 2,010,034/female 1,994,582) 4% (male 229,759/female 267,430) 2.5% (male 125,862/female 182,378) (2014 est.)

0-14 years

42.1% (male 2,617,472/female 2,575,429)

15-24 years

18.9% (male 1,166,258/female 1,167,934)

25-54 years

32.5% (male 2,010,034/female 1,994,582)

55-64 years

4% (male 229,759/female 267,430)

65 years and over

2.5% (male 125,862/female 182,378) (2014 est.)

Birth rate

34.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

783,113 35 % (2000 est.)

percentage

35 % (2000 est.)

total number

783,113

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.7% (2011)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

51.6% (2010/11)

Death rate

9.18 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios

80.2 % 75.8 % 4.4 % 22.8 (2014 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

4.4 %

potential support ratio

22.8 (2014 est.)

total dependency ratio

80.2 %

youth dependency ratio

75.8 %

Drinking water source

urban: 80.7% of population rural: 68.3% of population total: 70.7% of population urban: 19.3% of population rural: 31.7% of population total: 29.3% of population (2012 est.)

rural

31.7% of population

total

29.3% of population (2012 est.)

urban

19.3% of population

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic groups

Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%

Health expenditures

10.8% of GDP (2011)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.9% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

5,600 (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

206,900 (2012 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2007)

Infant mortality rate

59.59 deaths/1,000 live births 63.11 deaths/1,000 live births 55.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

female

55.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

total

59.59 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Kinyarwanda only (official, universal Bantu vernacular) 93.2%, Kinyarwanda and other language(s) 6.2%, French (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, English (official) and other language(s) 0.1%, Swahili (or Kiswahili, used in commercial centers) 0.02%, other 0.03%, unspecified 0.3% (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

59.26 years 57.73 years 60.83 years (2014 est.)

female

60.83 years (2014 est.)

total population

59.26 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 71.1% 74.8% 67.5% (2010 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

67.5% (2010 est.)

male

74.8%

total population

71.1%

Major infectious diseases

very high bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever malaria and dengue fever rabies (2013)

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

KIGALI (capital) 1.004 million (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

340 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Median age

18.7 years 18.4 years 18.9 years (2014 est.)

female

18.9 years (2014 est.)

male

18.4 years

total

18.7 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.9 median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)

Nationality

Rwandan(s) Rwandan

adjective

Rwandan

noun

Rwandan(s)

Net migration rate

0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

4.3% (2008)

People - note

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa

Physicians density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

12,337,138 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 (July 2014 est.)

Population growth rate

2.63% (2014 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 49.5%, Protestant 39.4% (includes Adventist 12.2% and other Protestant 27.2%), other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 1.8%, animist 0.1%, other 0.6%, none 3.6% (2001), unspecified 0.5% (2002 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 61% of population rural: 64.4% of population total: 63.8% of population urban: 39% of population rural: 35.6% of population total: 36.2% of population (2012 est.)

rural

35.6% of population

total

36.2% of population (2012 est.)

urban

39% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

10 years 10 years 10 years (2012)

female

10 years (2012)

male

10 years

total

10 years

Sex ratio

1.03 male(s)/female 1.02 male(s)/female 1 male(s)/female 1.01 male(s)/female 0.99 male(s)/female 0.67 male(s)/female 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.62 children born/woman (2014 est.)

Urbanization

19.1% of total population (2011) 4.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

4.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

19.1% of total population (2011)

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)

Capital

Kigali 1 57 S, 30 03 E UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

1 57 S, 30 03 E

name

Kigali

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 26 May 2003, effective 4 June 2003; amended several times, last in 2010 (2013)

Country name

Republic of Rwanda Rwanda Republika y'u Rwanda Rwanda Ruanda, German East Africa

conventional long form

Republic of Rwanda

conventional short form

Rwanda

former

Ruanda, German East Africa

local long form

Republika y'u Rwanda

local short form

Rwanda

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador Donald W. KORAN (since 8 August 2011) 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali B. P. 28, Kigali [250] 596-400 [250] 596-591

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald W. KORAN (since 8 August 2011)

embassy

2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali

FAX

[250] 596-591

mailing address

B. P. 28, Kigali

telephone

[250] 596-400

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 5 July 2013) 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 [1] (202) 232-2882 [1] (202) 232-4544

chancery

1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Mathilde MUKANTABANA (since 5 July 2013)

FAX

[1] (202) 232-4544

telephone

[1] (202) 232-2882

Executive branch

President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000) Prime Minister Pierre Damien HABUMUREMYI (since 7 October 2011) Council of Ministers appointed by the president president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 August 2010 (next to be held in 2017) Paul KAGAME re-elected president; Paul KAGAME 93.1%, Jean NTAWUKURIRYAYO 5.1%, Prosper HIGIRO 1.4%, Alvera MUKABARAMBA 0.4%

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)

election results

Paul KAGAME re-elected president; Paul KAGAME 93.1%, Jean NTAWUKURIRYAYO 5.1%, Prosper HIGIRO 1.4%, Alvera MUKABARAMBA 0.4%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 August 2010 (next to be held in 2017)

head of government

Prime Minister Pierre Damien HABUMUREMYI (since 7 October 2011)

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

Government type

republic; presidential, multiparty system

Independence

1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 12 judges; normally organized into 3-judge benches) note - the Gacaca Court was established in 2001 by the National Unity Government to try cases of genocide against the Tutsis judges nominated by the president of the republic, after consultation with the Cabinet and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (a 14-member body of judges, other judicial officials, and legal professionals), and approved by the Senate; court president and vice president appointed for 8-year nonrenewable terms; tenure of other judges NA High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; Gacaca and military specialized courts

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 12 judges; normally organized into 3-judge benches)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the president of the republic, after consultation with the Cabinet and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (a 14-member body of judges, other judicial officials, and legal professionals), and approved by the Senate; court president and vice president appointed for 8-year nonrenewable terms; tenure of other judges NA

subordinate courts

High Court of the Republic; commercial courts including the High Commercial Court; intermediate courts; primary courts; Gacaca and military specialized courts

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

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) Senate - NA; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 15 September 2008 (next to be held on 16-18 September 2013) 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

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

elections

Senate - NA; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 15 September 2008 (next to be held on 16-18 September 2013)

National anthem

"Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country) Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA adopted 2001

lyrics/music

Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA

name

"Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

$1.814 billion $2.146 billion (2013 est.)

expenditures

$2.146 billion (2013 est.)

revenues

$1.814 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Central bank discount rate

7.75% (31 December 2010 est.) 11.25% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.3% (31 December 2013 est.) 17.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

Current account balance

-$667.9 million (2013 est.) -$569.2 million (2012 est.)

Debt - external

$1.656 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $1.153 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46.8 (2000) 28.9 (1985)

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, minerals, coffee and tea are Rwanda's main sources of foreign exchange. 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. 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 has recovered, driven in large part by the services sector, but inflation has grown. On the back of this growth, government is gradually ending its fiscal stimulus policy while protecting aid to the poor.

Exchange rates

Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar - 633.6 (2013 est.) 616.6 (2012 est.) 583.13 (2010 est.) 568.18 (2009) 550 (2008)

Exports

$538.3 million (2013 est.) $512 million (2012 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, tea, hides, tin ore

Exports - partners

Kenya 30.5%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 12.2%, China 12.1%, Malaysia 10.7%, US 5.8%, Swaziland 4.9% (2012)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

88.2% 9% 21.2% 0% 11.3% -29.7% (2013 est.)

exports of goods and services

11.3%

government consumption

9%

household consumption

88.2%

imports of goods and services

-29.7%

investment in fixed capital

21.2%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

31.9% 14.8% 53.3% (2013 est.)

agriculture

31.9%

industry

14.8%

services

53.3% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,500 (2013 est.) $1,500 (2012 est.) $1,400 (2011 est.) data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.5% (2013 est.) 8% (2012 est.) 8.2% (2011 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.7 billion (2013 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$16.37 billion (2013 est.) $15.23 billion (2012 est.) $14.1 billion (2011 est.) data are in 2013 US dollars

Gross national saving

12.6% of GDP (2013 est.) 14.8% of GDP (2012 est.) 14.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

2.1% 43.2% (2011 est.)

highest 10%

43.2% (2011 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1%

Imports

$1.937 billion (2013 est.) $1.871 billion (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material

Imports - partners

Kenya 17.3%, Uganda 15.6%, UAE 8.9%, China 7.2%, India 5.6%, Tanzania 5%, Belgium 4.5%, Canada 4.1% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2013 est.)

Industries

cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2013 est.) 6.3% (2012 est.)

Labor force

4.446 million (2007)

Labor force - by occupation

90% 10% (2000)

agriculture

90%

industry and services

10% (2000)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

44.9% (2011 est.)

Public debt

23.5% of GDP (2013 est.) 21.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.354 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $847.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.445 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $1.137 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$12.9 million (31 December 2013 est.) $12.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$900.1 million (31 December 2013 est.) $743.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$717.3 million (31 December 2013 est.) $557 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$791.6 million (31 December 2013 est.) $671.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

865,100 Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

10 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

Electricity - consumption

319.6 million kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports

3 million kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

52.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

47.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports

62 million kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

57,250 kW (2010 est.)

Electricity - production

280.2 million kWh (2010 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,245 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,302 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.rw

Internet hosts

1,447 (2012)

Internet users

450,000 (2009)

Telephone system

small, inadequate telephone system primarily serves business, education, and government 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 and now exceeds 40 telephones per 100 persons 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) (2010)

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 and now exceeds 40 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

small, inadequate telephone system primarily serves business, education, and government

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) (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

44,400 (2012)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5.69 million (2012)

Airports

7 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

2

over 3,047 m

1

total

4

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

2

total

3

Ports and terminals

Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye (Lake Kivu)

lake port(s)

Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye (Lake Kivu)

Roadways

4,700 km 1,207 km 3,493 km (2012)

total

4,700 km

unpaved

3,493 km (2012)

Waterways

(Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

2,625,917 2,608,110 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

2,608,110 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,625,917

Manpower fit for military service

1,685,066 1,749,580 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

1,749,580 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,685,066

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

110,736 110,328 (2010 est.)

female

110,328 (2010 est.)

male

110,736

Military branches

Rwanda Defense Force (RDF): Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR) (2013)

Rwanda Defense Force (RDF)

Rwanda Army (Rwanda Land Force), Rwanda Air Force (Force Aerienne Rwandaise, FAR) (2013)

Military expenditures

1.12% of GDP (2012) 1.19% of GDP (2011) 1.12% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Rwandan citizenship is required, as is a 9th grade education for enlisted recruits and an A-level certificate for officer candidates; enlistment is either as contract (5-years, renewable twice) or career; retirement (for officers and senior NCOs) after 20 years of service or at 40-60 years of age (2012)

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 (DROC), 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

72,988 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2013) undetermined (fighting between government and insurgency in 1998-99; returning refugees) (2012)

IDPs

undetermined (fighting between government and insurgency in 1998-99; returning refugees) (2012)

refugees (country of origin)

72,988 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2013)

Trafficking in persons

Rwanda is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Rwandan girls and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited in domestic servitude within the country; Rwandan girls are also forced into prostitution by older girls, women, and loosely organized prostitution networks; Rwandan women and children are subjected to forced agricultural and industrial labor, domestic servitude, and prostitution in Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China, and the US; children in Rwanda-based refugee camps are brought to Kigali, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan for use in the sex trade; a limited number of foreign nationals are moved through Rwanda to be exploited in third countries Tier 2 Watch List - Rwanda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government maintains strong efforts to investigate and prosecute some trafficking crimes but fails to stop M23 (an armed group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) from recruiting within Rwanda, which is at times reportedly supported by government officials, amounting to complicity in human trafficking; although the revised penal code covers almost all forms of human trafficking, its narrow definition may result in the confusion of trafficking with other crimes; other obstacles include a lack of awareness of human trafficking among officials and an inadequate number of investigators (2013)

current situation

Rwanda is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Rwandan girls and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited in domestic servitude within the country; Rwandan girls are also forced into prostitution by older girls, women, and loosely organized prostitution networks; Rwandan women and children are subjected to forced agricultural and industrial labor, domestic servitude, and prostitution in Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China, and the US; children in Rwanda-based refugee camps are brought to Kigali, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan for use in the sex trade; a limited number of foreign nationals are moved through Rwanda to be exploited in third countries

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Rwanda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government maintains strong efforts to investigate and prosecute some trafficking crimes but fails to stop M23 (an armed group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) from recruiting within Rwanda, which is at times reportedly supported by government officials, amounting to complicity in human trafficking; although the revised penal code covers almost all forms of human trafficking, its narrow definition may result in the confusion of trafficking with other crimes; other obstacles include a lack of awareness of human trafficking among officials and an inadequate number of investigators (2013)