rwanda+1

= = =Backround=

In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the king Tutsi. 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, 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 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= = = =People= =Goverment= =Economy= Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in 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. =Communications= =Military=
 * location- East of Dem. republic of congo
 * Area total- 26,338 sq mile
 * Climate- two raining seasons
 * Terrain- mostly grassy uplands and hills
 * Natural resources- Gold, tin ore, tungsten ore, methane, hydropower, arable land
 * Natural Hazards- droughts and volcanic Virunga mountains
 * Enviorment issues- cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching
 * Land use- arable land is 46.56%
 * imports is over 400 million per year and exorts is 145 million
 * unemployment rate- NA%
 * Industries- cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
 * Agriculture- coffee, tea, pyrethrum, bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
 * Ethnic groups- Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%
 * Borders- Rwanda borders Burundi for 290 km, the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 217 km, Tanzania for 217 km, and Uganda for 169 km.
 * Illicit drugs- police destroy all of the illicit drugs
 * population- 10,473,282
 * age structure- 0-14=42.1%, 15-64=55.4%, 65 and older=2.4
 * Median age- total is 18.7 years, Males- 18.5 years, females- 18.9 years
 * Population growth is 2.783% (17th)
 * Birth rate is 39.67/1,000 population (18th)
 * Death rate is 14.02/1,000 population (23ed)
 * sex ratio- At birth 1.03 male/female, Under 15 1.01 male/female, 15-64 is 1 male/female, 65 years and over 0.66 male/females
 * life expectancy at birth- Males 49.25 years and females 51.83 years
 * HIV/AIDS death- 7,800 (37)
 * Languages- Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers
 * Age 15 and over can read and write
 * School life expectancy- total-9 years, males-8 years, females-9 years
 * Note- rwanda is the most densely populated country in africa
 * infant mortality rate- males 86.68 deaths/1,000 births females 76.38 deaths/1,000 births
 * literacy- total population 70.4%
 * Net migration rate- 2.17 migrants/1,000 population
 * religions-Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7%
 * 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
 * Goverment type- Republic; presidental, multiparty system
 * Capital- Kigali
 * Idependance- july 1, 1962
 * suffrage-18 years of age
 * leader- Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA
 * the GDP is $1,000
 * internet users- 100,000 users
 * expenditures- 2.9% of gdp
 * 18 years of age to voluntary in the military