Rwanda (2004) | Nepal (2008) | |
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Administrative divisions | 12 prefectures (in French - prefectures, singular - prefecture; in Kinyarwanda - plural - NA, singular - prefegitura); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali Rurale, Kigali-ville, Umutara, Ruhengeri | 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,690,122; female 1,674,147)
15-64 years: 55% (male 2,178,956; female 2,194,526) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 85,472; female 130,790) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 5,721,720/female 5,360,391)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male 8,597,037/female 8,134,115) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 528,113/female 560,414) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock | rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat |
Airports | 9 (2003 est.) | 47 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 30 (2007) |
Area | total: 26,338 sq km
land: 24,948 sq km water: 1,390 sq km |
total: 147,181 sq km
land: 143,181 sq km water: 4,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly larger than Arkansas |
Background | In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. 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 (RPF), 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 the former Zaire. Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda, but about 10,000 that remain in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo have 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, respectively - 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts to escape its bloody legacy. | In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, gained traction and threatened to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003. In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party coalition government. Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April 2006. After nearly three weeks of mass protests organized by the seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament to reconvene in April 2006. Following a November 2006 peace accord between the government and the Maoists, an interim constitution was promulgated and the Maoists were allowed to enter parliament in January 2007. The peace accord calls for the creation of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution. The Constituent Assembly elections, already twice delayed, are set for April 2008. |
Birth rate | 40.01 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 30.46 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $365.9 million
expenditures: $402.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.) |
revenues: $1.153 billion
expenditures: $1.927 billion (FY06/07) |
Capital | Kigali | name: Kathmandu
geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible | varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | a new constitution was adopted 26 May 2003 | 9 November 1990; note - a new interim constitution was promulgated in January 2007; the November 2006 peace agreement calls for the election of a constituent assembly to draft a new permanent constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda former: Ruanda |
conventional long and short form: Nepal
local long and short form: Nepal |
Currency | Rwandan franc (RWF) | - |
Death rate | 21.86 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.3 billion (2000 est.) | $3.07 billion (March 2006) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret K. McMILLION
embassy: #337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03 FAX: [250] 57 2128 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL
embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [977] (1) 400-7200 FAX: [977] (1) 400-7272 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGA
chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Suresh Chandra CHALISE
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 consulate(s) general: New York: |
Disputes - international | Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources - government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts | joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of boundary with India, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities; approximately 106,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990 |
Economic aid - recipient | $372.9 million (1999) | $427.9 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa; 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. Export earnings, however, have been hindered by low beverage prices, depriving the country of much needed hard currency. Attempts to diversify into non-traditional agriculture exports such as flowers and vegetables have been stymied by a lack of adequate transportation infrastructure. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food to be imported. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and was approved for IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in late 2000. But Kigali's high defense expenditures cause tension between the government and international donors and lending agencies. | Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. |
Electricity - consumption | 140 million kWh (2001) | 1.96 billion kWh (2006) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 101 million kWh (2006) |
Electricity - imports | 50 million kWh (2001) | 266 million kWh (2006) |
Electricity - production | 96.78 million kWh (2001) | 2.511 billion kWh (2006) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m |
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; widespread poaching | deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1% | Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | Rwandan francs per US dollar - 537.658 (2003), 476.327 (2002), 442.801 (2001), 389.696 (2000), 333.942 (1999) | Nepalese rupees per US dollar - NA (2007), 72.446 (2006), 72.16 (2005), 73.674 (2004), 76.141 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: last held 25 August 2003 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first direct popular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%, Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33% |
chief of state: Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30 April 2006) cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political parties elections: following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister by the monarch |
Exports | NA (2001) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | coffee, tea, hides, tin ore | carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain |
Exports - partners | Indonesia 39.2%, Germany 4.6%, China 3.9% (2003) | India 67.9%, US 11.7%, Germany 4.7% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 16 July - 15 July |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band | red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $10.11 billion (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 40.7%
industry: 21.5% services: 37.8% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 38%
industry: 20% services: 42% (FY05/06 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2003 est.) | 2.5% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 2 00 S, 30 00 E | 28 00 N, 84 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively |
Highways | total: 12,000 km
paved: 996 km unpaved: 11,004 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 24.2% (1985) |
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 40.6% (2004) |
Illicit drugs | - | illicit producer of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West |
Imports | NA (2001) | 11,530 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material | gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer |
Imports - partners | Kenya 23.3%, Germany 7.5%, Belgium 6.4%, Uganda 6.4%, France 5% (2003) | India 61.8%, China 3.8%, Indonesia 3.3% (2006) |
Independence | 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship) | 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH) |
Industrial production growth rate | 7% (2001 est.) | 2.2% (FY05/06) |
Industries | cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes | tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production |
Infant mortality rate | total: 101.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 106.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 96.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 63.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.5% (2003 est.) | 8.6% (November 2006 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 40 sq km (1998 est.) | 11,700 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; communal courts; appeals courts | Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council) |
Labor force | 4.6 million (2000) | 11.11 million
note: severe lack of skilled labor (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 90% | agriculture: 76%
industry: 6% services: 18% (2004 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km |
total: 2,926 km
border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km |
Land use | arable land: 40.54%
permanent crops: 12.16% other: 47.3% (2001) |
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 0.85% other: 83.08% (2005) |
Languages | Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers | Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (2001 census)
note: many in government and business also speak English (2001 est.) |
Legal system | 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 | based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (53 seats; members elected by direct vote)
elections: last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held NA) election results: seats by party under the Arusha peace accord - RPF 40, PSD 7, PL 6 |
a 330 seat Interim Parliament was formed on 15 January 2007 following the promulgation of an interim constitution
elections: Constituent Assembly elections orginally scheduled for June 2007 are expected to be held on 10 April 2008 election results: Interim Parliament seats by party - NC 85, CPN/M 83, CPN/UML 83, NC/D 48, RPP 9, NSP/AD 5, NWPP 4, People's Front Nepal (Amik Sherchan Group) 4, People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur K.C. Group) 3, UFL 3, People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur Ale Group) 2, NSP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 39.18 years
male: 38.43 years female: 39.96 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 60.56 years
male: 60.78 years female: 60.33 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.4% male: 76.3% female: 64.7% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.6% male: 62.7% female: 34.9% (2001 census) |
Location | Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Africa | Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
Military branches | Rwandan Defense Forces (Army, Air Forces) | Nepalese Army, Armed Police Force (2008) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $47.7 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.9% (2003) | 1.6% (2006) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,973,713 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,004,296 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 1 July (1962) | in 2006, Parliament abolished the birthday of King GYANENDRA (7 July) and Constitution Day (9 November) as national holidays |
Nationality | noun: Rwandan(s)
adjective: Rwandan |
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo | severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons |
Natural resources | gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land | quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
People - note | Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa | - |
Political parties and leaders | Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]; Democratic Popular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA ]; Democratic Republican Movement or MDR (officially banned) [Celestin KABANDA]; Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL [Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned) [Pasteur BIZIMUNGU and Charles NTAKARUTINKA]; Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME] | Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Pashupati Shumsher RANA] (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP); Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]; People's Front Nepal (Amik Sherchan Group); People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur Ale Group); People's Front Nepal (Chitra Bahadur K.C. Group); Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP [Surya Bahadur THAPA] (split from RPP in March 2005); Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal (merged with People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002); United Leftist Front or UFL [C.P. MAINALI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | IBUKA - association of genocide survivors | Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups |
Population | 7,954,013
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
28,901,790 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2001 est.) | 30.9% (2004) |
Population growth rate | 1.82% (2004 est.) | 2.132% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 3 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system of repeaters and the third FM program is a 24 hour BBC program), shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2000) |
Railways | - | total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001) | Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
note: only official Hindu state in the world |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.942 male(s)/female total population: 1.056 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal adult | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and government
domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone international: country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service) |
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network
domestic: NA international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 23,200 (2002) | 595,800 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 134,000
note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several prefecture capitals (2003) |
1.042 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998) |
Terrain | mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east | Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north |
Total fertility rate | 5.55 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 4.01 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 42% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2004) | - |