Airports [time series]

8 total, 8 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

1 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

fair system with low-capacity radio relay system centered on Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations--2 AM, 5 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, paramilitary, Gendarmerie

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

2.1% of GDP (1987)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 1,586,989; 810,560 fit for military service; no conscription

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

cash crops--coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums); main food crops--bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country imports foodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in population

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $58 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Rwandan franc (plural--francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes

Electricity [time series]

26,000 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1--78.99 (December 1989), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64 (1986), 101.26 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$118 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum; partners--FRG, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$645 million (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.3 billion, per capita $325; real growth rate - 2.5% (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$278 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material; partners--US, Belgium, FRG, Kenya, Japan

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 1.2% (1988)

Industries [time series]

mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

About 40% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have created problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing less than 20% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

none--landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Maryland

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts

Land boundaries [time series]

893 km total; Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km

Land use [time series]

29% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Maritime claims [time series]

none--landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

mostly grassy uplands and hills; mountains in west

Area (Total area) [time series]

26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

10 prefectures (prefectures, singular--prefecture in French; plural--NA, singular--prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri

Capital [time series]

Kigali

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no Communist party

Constitution [time series]

17 December 1978

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882; US--Ambassador Leonard H. O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [205] 75601 through 75603 or 72126 through 72128

Executive branch [time series]

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band

Independence [time series]

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

Judicial branch [time series]

Constitutional Court (consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Development Council (Conseil pour le Developpement National)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Rwanda

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, EAMA, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

only party--National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana (officially a development movement, not a party)

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult, exact age NA President--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana reelected; National Development Council--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--MRND is the only party; seats--(70 total); MRND 70

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices

Birth rate [time series]

53 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

113 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

3,600,000; 93% agriculture, 5% government and services, 2% industry and commerce; 49% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

50 years male, 54 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

46.6%

Nationality [time series]

noun and adjective--Rwandan(s)

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

7,609,119 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%

Total fertility rate [time series]

8.5 children born/woman (1990)