Rwanda
Republic of RwandaRepublika y'u Rwanda
republic
Rwanda as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 133 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the 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 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.
Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and its first post-genocide presidential and legislative elections in August and September 2003 - the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural output, and ethnic reconciliation is complicated by the real and perceived Tutsi political dominance. Kigali's increasing centralization and intolerance of dissent, the nagging Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and Rwandan involvement in two wars in recent years in the neighboring DRC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy.
Geography
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
20 fieldsLand useshare of 26,338 sq km
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
Natural resources
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.15 cu km/yr (24%/8%/68%)
- per capita:
- 17 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural
People
24 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Religions(2001)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.66 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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)
Languages
Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Government
Republic; President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000); Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March 2000)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislaturepercent of vote
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
Capital
- name:
- Kigali
- geographic coordinates:
- 1 57 S, 30 04 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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)
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
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
- elections:
- President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held in September 2010)
- election results:
- Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%, Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 members elected by local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by the Political Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higher learning; 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; serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - members appointed as part of the transitional government (next to be held in 2011);
- Chamber of Deputies - last held 15 September 2008 (next to be held 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
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court;
- High Courts of the Republic;
- Provincial Courts;
- District Courts;
- mediation committees
Political parties and leaders
- Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA];
- Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA];
- Democratic Republican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned);
- Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA];
- Liberal Party or PL [Protais MITALI];
- Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned);
- Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME];
- Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, 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, MINURCAT, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador James KOMONYO
- chancery:
- 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 232-2882
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 232-4544
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
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
Economy
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture.
48 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women, and eroded 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, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, 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. Rwanda also received Millennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. 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, although energy shortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequate transportation linkages to other countries continue to handicap growth.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
46.8 (2000) · 28.9 (1985) country comparison to the world: 37
Central bank discount rate
11.25% (31 December 2008) · 12.5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 23
Commercial bank prime lending rate
16.51% (31 December 2008) · 15.84% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 38
Agriculture - products
coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
Industries
cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Natural gas - proved reserves
56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Current account balance
-$292 million (2008 est.) · -$147 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$596 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $552.8 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Exchange rates
Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar - 550 (2008 est.), 585 (2007), 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- small, inadequate telephone system primarily serves business 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 is only about 13 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)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 10 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters; international FM programming includes the BBC, VOA, and Deutchewelle) (2007)
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Military
Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 2,430,469
- females age 16-49:
- 2,392,933 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 46,272 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,400 (Burundi) (2007)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Rwanda.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/rwanda/2009.