Rwanda

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

total:

0.15 cu km/yr (24%/8%/68%)

per capita:

17 cu m/yr (2000)

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

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

noun:

Rwandan(s)

adjective:

Rwandan

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 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.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

animal contact disease:

rabies (2009)

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

name:

Kigali

geographic coordinates:

1 57 S, 30 03 E

time difference:

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

• 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)

• Supreme Court;
• High Courts of the Republic;
• Provincial Courts;
• District Courts;
• mediation committees

• 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]

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Donald W. KORAN

embassy:

2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kigali

mailing address:

B. P. 28, Kigali

telephone:

[250] 596-400

FAX:

[250] 596-591

• 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

name:

"Rwanda nziza" (Rwanda, Our Beautiful Country)

lyrics/music:

Faustin MURIGO/Jean-Bosco HASHAKAIMANA

note: adopted 2001

agriculture:

90%

industry and services:

10% (2000)

lowest 10%:

2.1%

highest 10%:

43.2% (2011 est.)

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 and now exceeds 40 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)

• 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)

total:

14,008 km

country comparison to the world: 126

paved:

2,662 km

unpaved:

11,346 km (2004)

• 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)

males age 16-49:

2,625,917

females age 16-49:

2,608,110 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,685,066

females age 16-49:

1,749,580 (2010 est.)

male:

110,736

female:

110,328 (2010 est.)

• 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 (country of origin):

54,995 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2011)

IDPs:

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