A Look at Rwanda

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Fact Sheet Official name: Republic of

Rwanda Capital: Kigali National Day:

Independence Day, July 1st

Religions: Roman Catholic, Islam, traditional African

Languages: English, Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili

Population: approximately 8 million

Geography

Location: central Africa Land area: 26, 340 sq.

km Rainfall: rainy seasons-

March through May and October through November

Average temperature: 24.6 to 27.6 degrees Celsius

Main bodies of water: Lake Kivu, Lake Mukazi, Lake Ihema, Lake Bulera, Lake Ruhondo, Lake Mugesera

Vegetation: ranges from dense equatorial forest in northwest of the country to tropical savannah in the east

Geography (Cont’d)

Highest point: Karisimbi volcano (4, 507 m)

Borders: Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west

Government

Government type: republic, presidential, multiparty system

Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures Independence: July 1st, 1962 from Belgium Constitution: established May 5, 1995; consists of

the constitution of June 18, 1999, the 1993 Arusha Peace Accord, the July 1994 Declaration by the Rwanda patriotic Front and the November multiparty protocol

Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal adult

Government (Cont’d)

Executive branch: president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government) and cabinet

Legislative branch: the Transitional National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, communal and appeals courts

Political parties: about ten including the Centrist Democratic party and the Rwandan Patriotic Front

Economy

GDP: $7.2 million (2001 est.)

Labor force: 3.6 million Labor force-by

occupation: agriculture 90%

Budget: revenues-$199.3 million, expenditures-$445 million (2001 est.)

Economy (Cont’d)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2001 est.)

Agricultural products: coffee, tea, hides, tin ore

Currency: Rwandan franc (RWF)