Part 625

Total fertility rate: 5.99 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Rwandan(s) adjective: Rwandan

Ethnic divisions: Hutu 80%, Tutsi 19%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

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

Languages: Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 60.5% male: 69.8% female: 51.6%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Rwanda conventional short form: Rwanda local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda local short form: Rwanda

Data code: RW

Type of government: republic; presidential system

Capital: Kigali

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

Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution: 18 June 1991

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

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch: chief of state: President Pasteur BIZIMUNGU (since 19 July 1994); installed by force by the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front; no date set for elections; president is normally elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; Vice President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since NA) head of government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since NA September 1995) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): sworn in on 25 November 1994; seats - (70 total) RPF 19, MDR 13, PSD 13, PL 13, PDC 6, PSR 2, PDI 2, other 2

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session

Political parties and leaders: significant parties include: Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Alexis KANYARENGWE, chairman; Democratic Republican Movement (MDR); Liberal Party (PL); Democratic and Socialist Party (PSD); Christian Democratic Party (PDC); Islamic Democratic Party (PDI); Rwandan Socialist Party (PSR); National Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), former ruling party

Other political or pressure groups: Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), the RPF military wing, Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME, commander; Rally for the Democracy and Return (RDR)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Theogene RUDASINGWA chancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 232-2882 FAX: (202) 232-4544

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert GRIBBIN III embassy: Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: 756 01 through 03, 721 26, 771 47 FAX: 721 28

Flag: 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

Economy -------

Economic overview: Rwanda is a poor African nation suffering bitterly from ethnic-based civil war. The agricultural sector dominates the economy; coffee and tea normally make up 80%-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion continue to create problems. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. Ethnic-based insurgency since 1990 has devastated wide areas, especially in the north, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. A peace accord in mid-1993 temporarily ended most of the fighting, but resumption of large-scale civil warfare in April 1994 in the capital city Kigali and elsewhere has been taking thousands of lives and severely affecting short-term economic prospects. The economy suffers massively from failure to maintain the infrastructure, looting, neglect of important cash crops, and lack of health care facilities. GDP in 1994 may have dropped by as much as half. The further decline of GDP in 1995 was much smaller and was more than offset by aid from the outside. Because of the severe damage to real property and the decline in public discipline, recovery of domestic production toward previous levels is proceeding slowly.