Part 159
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 ::Rwanda
Location:
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates:
2 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 26,338 sq km country comparison to the world: 148 land: 24,668 sq km
water: 1,670 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Natural resources:
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 45.56%
permanent crops: 10.25%
other: 44.19% (2005)
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
5.2 cu km (2003)
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 ::Rwanda
Population:
10,473,282 country comparison to the world: 77 note: 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 2,216,352/female 2,196,327)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 2,897,003/female 2,909,994)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 100,920/female 152,686) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.7 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 18.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.782% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Birth rate:
39.67 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Death rate:
14.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Net migration rate:
2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Urbanization:
urban population: 18% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 81.61 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 17 male: 86.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 76.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.52 years country comparison to the world: 206 male: 49.25 years
female: 51.83 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.25 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
150,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
7,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
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)
Nationality:
noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups:
Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
Languages:
Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4%
male: 76.3%
female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 8 years
female: 9 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 115
People - note:
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Government ::Rwanda
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
Government type:
republic; presidential, multiparty system
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)
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
new constitution passed by referendum 26 May 2003
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)
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
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.729 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $8.749 billion (2007 est.)
$8.108 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.459 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 7.9% (2007 est.)
7.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 218 $900 (2007 est.)
$800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 43.2%
industry: 22.3%
services: 34.5% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.446 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 81
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
60% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 38.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
46.8 (2000) country comparison to the world: 37 28.9 (1985)
Investment (gross fixed):
22% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Budget:
revenues: $930.4 million
expenditures: $1.023 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 193 9.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
11.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 23 12.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.51% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 38 15.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$233.6 million (31 December 2005) country comparison to the world: 104
Stock of quasi money:
$227.4 million (31 December 2005) country comparison to the world: 115
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$209.2 million (31 December 2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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
Industrial production growth rate:
7.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Electricity - production:
120 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Electricity - consumption:
231.6 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Electricity - exports:
10 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
130 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Oil - consumption:
6,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - imports:
5,623 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 125
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
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.) country comparison to the world: 97 -$147 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$210 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 $184 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
Exports - partners:
China 9.1%, Thailand 8.6%, Germany 7.3%, US 4.5%, Belgium 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$834 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 $637 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
Imports - partners:
Kenya 15.2%, Uganda 13.3%, China 6.3%, Belgium 5.3%, Germany 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$596 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 $552.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.4 billion (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Exchange rates:
Rwandan francs (RWF) per US dollar - 550 (2008 est.), 585 (2007), 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62 (2004)
Communications ::Rwanda
Telephones - main lines in use:
16,800 (2008) country comparison to the world: 198
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.323 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 136
Telephone 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)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2004)
Internet country code:
.rw
Internet hosts:
81 (2009) country comparison to the world: 203
Internet users:
300,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 127
Transportation ::Rwanda
Airports:
9 (2009) country comparison to the world: 159
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 14,008 km country comparison to the world: 125 paved: 2,662 km
unpaved: 11,346 km (2004)
Waterways:
Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
Military ::Rwanda
Military branches:
Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force
Military 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.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,452,768
females age 16-49: 1,456,207 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 106,741
female: 106,935 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Transnational Issues ::Rwanda
Disputes - 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)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Saint Barthelemy (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Saint Barthelemy
Background:
Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appellations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Geography ::Saint Barthelemy
Location:
located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe
Geographic coordinates:
17 90 N, 62 85 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
21 sq km
Area - comparative:
less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Climate:
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Terrain:
hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
Natural resources:
has few natural resources, its beaches being the most important
Environment - current issues:
with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker
People ::Saint Barthelemy
Population:
7,448 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 226
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 734/female 696)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 2,855/female 2,402)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 378/female 383) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 38.9 years (2009 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.14 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Ethnic groups:
white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness
Languages:
French (primary), English
Government ::Saint Barthelemy
Country name:
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy
local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy
local short form: Saint-Barthelemy
Dependency status:
overseas collectivity of France
Capital:
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term
election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Legislative branch: