 Basic History
Hugo Boss
Rwanda is situated in Central Africa. Her neighbours 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
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; Swahili, French and English are also widely spoken
Religion: Catholic (the majority), Protestant, Muslim and traditional beliefs
Literacy: 52% (1998) of population 15 years of age or older
42% (1998) among women
40% of population has no or severely limited access to education
Geography:
Land Area: 26,338 square kilometers
Location: Between 1º - 3º latitude south and 29º - 31º 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 m
above sea level
Climate: Average annual temperature is 18º - 24º Celsius Average annual
rainfall is 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
Government and Territorial Administration:
Capital City: Kigali
Prefectures: Cyangugu, Kigali City, Kibuye, Kigali Rural, Gisenyi, Gitarama,
Ruhengeri, Kibungo, Byumba, Nyagatare, Gikongoro, Butare.
The Prefectures are divided into 147 smaller territorial units called Communes.
Flag:
(1) GREEN: Symbolizes hope for prosperity;
(2) YELLOW: Stands for Wealth;
(3) BLUE: Stands for happiness and peace &
(4) The Sun and its golden yellow rays : Stands for ever increasing light
that guides all the people. They also signify unity, transparency & the
fight against ignorance.
Economics and Trade:
Currency: 317 Rwandan Francs (approximately $1 US)
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 capita: US $)
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 capita: 1/60,000
Transportation:
Airport: Kigali International Airport
Airlines: Alliance Express, Sabena, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda 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)
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