Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda, the landlocked nation bordering Uganda to the north, Burundi to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west and Tanzania to the east and southeast, is located in the Great Lakes region of central Africa. It is the most densely populous African nation. Rwanda is historically infamous for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Kigali is the capital of Rwanda. Rwanda is expecting its Commonwealth of Nations membership in 2009.

HISTORY:- The Twa, a Pygmy people originally inhabited the country. Later Hutu and Tutsi peoples overshadowed the Twa from the region during the Bantu expansion. In 1854, the nation was believed to be first visited by the Europeans. In 1890, the country was incorporated in the German East Africa. During the World War I, Rwanda was conquered by Belgium. Following the war, Belgian mandate was imposed on Rwanda by the League of Nations and continued until 1960. Along with Burundi, the territory came to be known as Ruanda-Urundi. The mandate was transformed into a UN trust territory in 1946. At first, Tutsi supremacy was accepted but later trends were following Hutu and Tutsi equality in power. These racial conflicts led to a civil war. In 1962, Ruanda achieved independence and initiated a Hutu rule. Peace accords were signed between the two major ethnic groups in Rwanda in 1993, but in the following year, murders of both the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi aroused terrifying violence. The country was ravaged by civil wars and genocide. The RPF took over the control of the country. Paul Kagame became the first Tutsi president in Rwanda in 2000.

GEOGRAPHY:- Rwanda is located at 2 00 S, 30 00 E in Central Africa. The country occupies total 26,338 sq km area in which 24,948 sq km and 1,390 sq km areas are captured by land masses and internal waters respectively. The landlocked nation borders Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda. Rwanda is separated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Lake Kivu. The lowest point is Rusizi River (950 m) and the highest point is Volcan Karisimbi (4,519 m). Rwanda is mostly formed of grassy uplands and hills. Mountains can be seen from the southeast to the northwest.

CLIMATE:- The climate of Rwanda varies from mild in mountains with frost and snow to temperate in the interiors. There are two rainy seasons- February to April, and November to January.

GOVERNMENT:- Rwanda is a republic with presidential-multiparty system. The new constitution was passed by a referendum on 26th May 2003. The legal system is designed after the German and Belgian civil law systems, the customary law and the judicial reviews of legislative acts in the Supreme Court. The three major branches of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime minister (head of government), and the Council of Ministers. The President is elected by a popular vote on a 7-year term. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president.

Legislative branch comprises the bicameral Parliament, consisting of Senate (26 seats) and the Chamber of Deputies (80 seats). By law one-third of the representatives of the Parliament must be female.

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court, High Courts of the Republic, Provincial Courts, District Courts, and mediation committees.

The ruling party of Rwanda is Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which includes the coalition of the Centrist Democratic Party (PDC), the Rwandan Socialist Party (PSR), the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI), and the Democratic Popular Union (UPDR). Other parties are the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Liberal Party (PL), the Concord Progressive Party (PPC), and the Prosperity and Solidarity Party (PSP). Suffrage is universal at 18.

President              Paul Kagame

Prime Minister       Bernard Makuza

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:-  Rwanda is divided into 5 provinces:

North Province

East Province

South Province

West Province

Kigali Province.

These provinces are further subdivided into 30 districts.

ECONOMY:- Rwanda is a poor nation with almost 90% of the people engaged in agriculture. Coffee and tea are the main economic crops of Rwanda. The landlocked position and lack of adequate transportation and infrastructure handicap the economic growth of the country.

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $8.4 billion; per capita $900.

Real growth rate: 6%.

Inflation: 9.4%.

Unemployment: n.a.

Arable land: 46%.

Agriculture: Coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock.

Budget:  

Revenues: $797 million

Expenditures: $873.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $1.4 billion (2004 est.)

Labor force: 4.6 million (2000); agriculture 90%, industry and services 10%.

Industries: Cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes.

Natural resources: Gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land.

Exports: $170.8 million f.o.b. (2007 est.): coffee, tea, hides, tin ore.

Imports: $472.5 million f.o.b. (2007 est.): foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material.

Major trading partners: Indonesia, China, Germany, Kenya, Belgium, Uganda, France (2004).

Monetary unit: Rwanda franc

LANGUAGE:- Kinyarwanda, French, and English are the official languages of Rwanda while Kiswahili is spoken in  business.

CITIES:- The capital and the largest city of Rwanda is Kigali. Other major cities are Gitarama, Butare, Ruhengeri, and Gisenyi.

POPULATION:- Rwanda is the most densely populated (density per sq mi is 1,029) African country having an approximate population of 9,907,509 with an average growth rate of 2.8%.

Literacy rate: 70% (2003 est.).

RACE:-

Hutu (Bantu) 84%

Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%

Twa (Pygmy) 1%

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 56.5%

Protestant 26%

Adventist 11.1%

Muslim 4.6%

Indigenous beliefs 0.1%

None 1.7% (2001)

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 39.97 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 14.46 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 83.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.76 years

Total fertility rate: 5.31 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 22,000 (2003 est.)

Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2005): 136

UNICEF:- 97 % under-5 children received vitamin A supplements, 54% families received insecticide-treated bed nets, 53% women experienced secured deliveries under skilled health personnel. Rwanda is Tetanus-free, while efforts are carrying out to eliminate polio, measles and hepatitis. In 2007, 100,000 people accessed safe water. HIV prevention and treatment services are also provided. National Strategic Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children has been endorsed by the government as the survival policy of the genocide. 52 schools are child-friendly, along with 212 temporary classrooms with water and sanitation facilities. 

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: 0 km.

Highways: total: total: 14,008 km paved: 2,662 km unpaved: 11,346 km (2004).

Waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft.

Ports and harbors: Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye.

Airports: 9 (2007).