Rwanda
is situated in Central Africa. Her neighbors are the Democratic
Republic of Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Burundi
to the south, and Tanzania to the east, in a region that
is termed the Great Lakes because of the shared lakes,
namely: Victoria, Kivu, George, Albert, Tanganyika, Kyoga
and others. The hilly character has earned the country
the name of "the land of a thousand hills".
Map of Rwanda
Basic History
Brief
History
The
Armed Struggle
The
Search for Peace
The
Arusha Peace Agreement
Genocide
The Fall of the Genocidal Regime
Highlights
of Rwanda's Recent History
Seven
Years of Progress
The
Challenges Ahead
Basic Facts:
Population: 8.01 million; 290 people/km2
Total population under 14 years old: 49%
Total population under 20 years old: 60%
of these an estimated 400,000 are orphans; 20% of whom head their household
Male: 46%
Female: 54%
of these an estimated 42% are widowed;
35% of all households are headed by women
Rural: 90%
Language: Kinyarwanda. English, French and Swahili are also widely spoken
Religion: Catholic (the majority), Protestant, Muslim and traditional religious beliefs.
Literacy: 52% (1998) of population 15 years of age or older
42% (1998) among women
40% of population has no access or severely limited access to education
Geography:
Land Area: 26,338 square kilometers
Location: Between 1" - 3" latitude south and 29" - 31" longitude east 75 miles from the Equator; 880 miles from the Indian Ocean; 1250 miles from the Atlantic Ocean
Altitude: Most of the country lies above 1000 m, with half of it 1500 - 2000 m above sea level
Climate: Average annual temperature is 18" - 24" Celsius Average annual rainfall is 900 - 1600 mm. Conditions in the mountains can be mild, but frost and snow are also possible. There are two rainy seasons from February to April and from November to January.
Terrain: Mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east
Land use: 47% cropland, 22% forest, 18% pasture, 13% other
National Government and Local Administration:
Capital City: Kigali
Provinces: Kigali City-PVK, , Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro,
Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye,
Kigali-Ngali (Kigali Rural), Nyagatare, Ruhengeri.
The provinces are divided into 154 smaller territorial units called
Communes.
Flag:
GREEN: Symbolizes hope for prosperity.
YELLOW: Stands for Wealth.
The Sun and its Golden Yellow Rays: Stands for ever increasing light
that guides all the people. They also signify unity, transparency and
the fight against ignorance.
Three branches of National Government: Executive, Legislative and Judicial
Economics and Trade:
Currency: Rwandan Franc. $1 US Dollar = 460 Rwandan Francs (approximately)
Total Budget 1998: 173 billion Frw
Total Foreign Debt: US $1.2 billion, most of which was accrued by the former genocidal regime
GDP/per capital: US $250.00 (1998)
Main Exports: coffee and tea
Main Crops: beans, peas, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, millet, and Irish potatoes
Natural Resources: tin, gold, and natural gas
Health Indicators:
Life expectancy at birth: 49.2 years
Men: 48.1 years
Women: 50.1 years
Fertility rate/per woman: 6.5 children (1996)
Population annual growth rate: 2.8% (1996)
Infant mortality/thousand live births: 112
Maternal mortality/per 100,000 live births: 800 (1996)
Major cause of premature death: Malaria
Adult HIV-1 seroprevalence: 11% (1998)
Total Health Centers: 255
Total health personnel: estimated 5,000
Doctors/per capital: 1/60,000
Transportation:
Airport: Kigali International Airport
Airlines: Alliance Express, SN Brussels, Ethiopian, Kenya Airways, Cameroon Airline, Uganda Airline are amongst 12 designated regular airlines plus several other non-scheduled aircraft operating into Kigali International Airport.
Closest ports: Mombasa, Kenya via Uganda (1760 km by road); Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1528 km by road)
