Rwanda Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Rwanda, State of East Central Africa; 26,000 km², 12.3 million residents (2019).Rwanda borders north to Congo (Kinshasa) and Uganda, east to Tanzania, south to Burundi and west to Congo (Kinshasa). The capital is Kigali (859,300 residents, 2013).

Country facts

Republika y’u Rwanda (Rwanda)
Republic of Rwandaise (French) /
Republic of Rwanda
Country abbreviation: RW
Area: 26 000 km²
Population (2019): 12.3 million residents
Capital: Kigali
Main languages: Rwanda, French
State: Republic
Head of State: Paul Kagame (President)
Head of Government: Edouard Ngirente
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 773
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 780
Currency: 1 franc = 100 centimes
Currency code: RWF
Country number (telephony): 250
Internet domain name: rw
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: July 1 (in memory of Independence, 1962)

Nature

Land use: forest (10%), agricultural land (48%), other (42%)
Highest mountain: Karisimbi (4,550 m asl)
Largest lake: Lake Kivus (2,370 km² )

Population

Population density (2019): 485 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 2.7%; birth number 32 ‰, death number 5 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (40%), 15-64 (57%), 65- (3%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 66 years, women 70 years
Infant mortality (2019): 30 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 23 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.524 (place 158 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 19%
Most populous city (2013): Kigali (859,300 residents)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (31%), industry (18%), service (51%)
Exports (2017): USD 1,050 million
Main export products: coffee, tea
Main exporting countries: United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Switzerland
Imports (2017): US $ 1 922 million
Main import products: food, machinery, steel
Main importing countries: China, Uganda, India
Railway network: nothing works

In the northwestern part of Rwanda lies the Virunga mountain chain of volcanoes. Otherwise, the western parts are dominated by a north-south mountain ridge. To the west of this is Lake Kivus, which flows through the Ruzizi River to Lake Tanganyika. To the east, the country slowly descends towards marshy plains adjacent to the river Kagera and its tributaries. The height above the sea gives Rwanda a relatively cool climate. Rainfall is the mountains to the west.

The president, who is the country’s head of state and commander-in-chief, is elected in general elections for seven years. Parliament consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies has 80 members, 53 of whom are elected in general elections for five years. The country became independent in 1962.

Even before the 1994 genocide, Rwanda had one of Africa’s weakest economies. Business has long been hampered by the country’s isolated location and its overpopulation. Raw materials are scarce, and the economy is almost entirely agricultural based. The industry is insignificant. During the first half of the 1990s, war and genocide destroyed Rwanda’s economic and social infrastructure. Thanks to considerable financial support from the outside world, the country has begun to recover after the civil war. During the 2010s, the country was recognized for its business-friendly climate, including a little bureaucracy and low corruption.