Rwanda

Republic of Rwanda Repubulika y'u Rwanda République du Rwanda Flag Emblem Motto: Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu "Unity, Work, Patriotism" Anthem: "Rwanda nziza" Capital (and largest city) Kigali 1°56.633′S 30°3.567′E / 1.943883°S 30.05945°E / -1.943883; 30.05945 Official language(s) Kinyarwanda, French, English Vernacular language Swahili Demonym Rwandan, Rwandese Government Republic  -  President Paul Kagame  -  Prime Minister Bernard Makuza Independence from Belgium   -  Date July 1, 1962  Area  -  Total 26,338 km2 (147th) 10,169 sq mi   -  Water (%) 5.3 Population  -  January 2010 estimate 10,746,311[1] (80th)  -  2010 census 11,395,210[2]   -  Density 401.4/km2 (29th) 1,029.9/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate  -  Total $11.260 billion[3]   -  Per capita $1,148[3]  GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate  -  Total $5.246 billion[3]   -  Per capita $535[3]  Gini (2003) 41.1 (medium)  HDI (2007) ▲0.460 (low) (160th) Currency Rwandan franc (RWF) Time zone CAT (UTC+2)  -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+2) Drives on the right Internet TLD .rw Calling code 250 1 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.

The Republic of Rwanda (English pronunciation: /ruːˈændə/ roo-AN-də or /rəˈwɑːndə/ rə-WAHN-də; Kinyarwanda pronunciation [ɾwanda] or IPA: [ɾɡwanda]), known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.

Although close to the equator, the country has a cool temperate climate due to its high elevation. The terrain consists mostly of grassy uplands and gently rolling hills. Abundant wildlife, including rare mountain gorillas, have resulted in tourism becoming one of the biggest sectors of the country's economy.

Rwanda has received considerable international attention due to its 1994 genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed.^[4] Since then the country has made a recovery and is now considered as a model for developing countries. In 2009 a CNN report labeled Rwanda as Africa's biggest success story, having achieved stability, economic growth (average income has tripled in the past ten years) and international integration.^[5] The government is widely seen as one of the more efficient and honest ones in Africa. In 2007 Fortune magazine published an article titled "Why CEOs Love Rwanda." ^[6] The capital, Kigali, is the first city in Africa to be awarded the Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in the recognition of its "cleanliness, security and urban conservation model." ^[7] In 2008, Rwanda became the first country to elect a national legislature in which a majority of members were women.^[8] Rwanda joined the Commonwealth of Nations on 29 November 2009 as its fifty-fourth member,^[9] making the country one of only two in the Commonwealth without a British colonial past.^[10]

History

It is not known when the territory of present day Rwanda was first inhabited, but it is thought that humans moved into the area following the last ice age either in the Neolithic period, around ten thousand years ago, or in the long humid period which followed, up to around 3000 BC.^[11][12] Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of sparse settlement by hunter gatherers in the late stone age, followed by a larger population of early Iron Age settlers, who produced dimpled pottery and iron tools.^[11][13][14] These early inhabitants were the ancestors of the Twa, a group of aboriginal Pygmy hunter-gatherers, who still live in Rwanda today.^[11] At some point between 700 BC and 1 AD, these settlers were joined by Bantu farmers from the west, known as Hutus.^[11][15] The Hutus, with their sedentary farming lifestyle, soon outnumbered the Twas and began to take over their traditional hunting grounds, forcing them to retreat into the forests.^[16] Later a third group, the cattle-raising Tutsi, migrated to the area. The Tutsi were generally taller than the Hutus and the Twas, and were distinct in physical appearance.^[16][17] It is not known when the Tutsi arrived and from where they came, but there is evidence that they were of Cushitic origin, coming from the Horn of Africa.^[17] Over time, the distinction between the three groups became blurred and some sources question whether they are truly of separate racial or ethnic stock.^[18]

According to oral history the Kingdom of Rwanda was founded in the 14th or 15th centuries on the shores of Lake Muhazi in the Buganza and Bwanacyambwe regions.^[19][20][21] At that time it was a small state in a loose confederation with larger and more powerful neighbours, Bugesera and Gisaka.^[22] By playing these neighbours against each other, the early kingdom flourished in the area, expanding westwards towards Lake Kivu.^[23] In this expanded kingdom, the Buganza region became a powerful religious site, being synonymous with the earliest and most revered mwamis of the kingdom.^[24] In the late 16th or early 17th centuries, the kingdom of Rwanda was invaded by the Banyoro and the kings forced to flee westward, leaving the eastern area in the hands of Bugesera and Gisaka.^[20][22] The formation in the 17th century of a new Rwandan dynasty by mwami Ruganzu Ndori, followed by eastward invasions, the retaking of Buganza and the conquest of Bugesera, marked the beginning of the Rwandan kingdom's dominance in the area.^[25] At its peak, the Kingdom of Rwanda extended west and north into what is now the DRC and Uganda, reaching the shores of Lake Edward.^[26]

The colonial era in Rwanda began in 1884 when the territory of Ruanda-Urundi was assigned to Germany by the Berlin Conference, being united with Tanganyika to form German East Africa.^[27] Gustav Adolf von Götzen became the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894, crossing from the south-west to Lake Kivu and meeting the Mwami.^[28] In the following years, German missionaries and a small number of military personnel began to arrive in the country and a Resident was established.^[29] The Germans did not significantly alter the societal structure of the country, but exerted some influence by supporting the Mwami and the existing hierarchy and by placing advisers at the courts of local chiefs.^[30] They also observed and perpetuated the ethnic divisions of the country, favouring the Tutsi as the ruling class and aiding the monarchy in putting down rebellions of Hutus not wishing to submit to central Tutsi control.^[30] In 1916, during World War I, Germany lost control of Ruanda-Urundi to Belgian forces; the territory was then declared a League of Nations mandate in 1919, with Belgium being asked to govern.^[30] The Belgian involvement was far more direct than the German, and extended the coloniser's interests into education, health, public works and agricultural supervision; the last was especially important with improved techniques reducing the incidence of famine.^[31] Belgium also maintained the existing class system, promoting Tutsi supremacy and disenfranchising the Hutus by subjugating their northwest kingdoms into the Mwami's central control.^[32] The Belgian authorities considered the Hutus and Tutsis different races and in 1935 introduced identity cards labelling each individual as either Tutsi, Hutu or Twa. This classification was often based arbitrarily on physical characteristics; borderline cases were decided on cattle ownership with those owning ten or more cattle labelled Tutsi and others as Hutu.^[33]

Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwanda's president from 1973 to 1994

Rwanda's establishment as a UN Trust Territory under Belgian administration in 1945, coupled with a wave of Pan-Africanism across the continent, started the colony's move towards independence.^[34] The 1950s saw two movements develop - the Tutsi elite, who favoured early independence under the existing system,^[35][36] and the Hutu emancipation movement led by Grégoire Kayibanda, which sought an end to "Tutsi feudalism".^[37] The Tutsi movement received support in its quest for indepence from the Communist bloc, which led the Belgians to dramatically drop their long-standing support and favour the Hutu.^[38] Tension between the two groups escalated throughout the decade, culminating in November 1959 when the beating up of a Hutu politician and false news of his death sparked a violent backlash against the Tutsi known as the wind of destruction.^[39] During the following years hundreds of Tutsi were killed, and more than 100,000 were exiled into neighbouring countries.^[40] Under the stewardship of the pro-Hutu Belgian colonel Guy Logiest, democratic elections were held and a referendum was passed, abolishing the monarchy and establishing a republic. Rwanda was separated from Burundi and gained independence under Kayibanda in 1962.^[41] The following years were characterised by cycles of attacks by rebel Tutsis in exile and large scale slaughter and repression of Tutsi within Rwanda.^[42] In 1973 Juvenal Habyarimana became president in a bloodless coup, claiming the government had become too corrupt, ineffective and violent.^[43] In the years following the coup Rwanda enjoyed relative economic prosperity and violence against Tutsis reduced, although pro-Hutu discrimination continued.^[44]

In 1990 the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from Uganda, initiating the Rwandan Civil War.^[45] The Rwandan government, supported by troops from France,^[46] was initially successful in suppressing the rebels but the RPF grew in strength and by 1992 a stalemate had developed.^[47] Despite continuing ethnic strife, including the displacement of large numbers of Hutu in the north by the rebels and periodic localized extermination of Tutsi to the south, pressure on the Habyarimana's government resulted in a cease-fire in 1993 and the negotiation of a peace settlement in Arusha, Tanzania.^[48] The cease-fire ended on April 6, 1994 when Habyarimana's plane was shot down near Kigali Airport, killing the president and his Burundian counterpart. It is still unknown who launched the attack, with each side blaming the other.^[49] The shooting down of the plane served as the trigger for the Rwandan Genocide, which began within a few hours. Over the course of approximately 100 days, between 500,000 and 1,000,000^[50] of Rwanda's Tutsis and Hutu political moderates were killed in apparently well-planned attacks, on the orders of the interim government under the de facto control of Theoneste Bagosora.^[51] The Tutsi RPF quickly restarted their offensive, and took control of the country in a slow and methodical manner, cutting off government supply routes taking advantage of the deteriorating social order.^[52] The international response was limited, with the major powers reluctant to strengthen the already overstretched UN peacekeeping force.^[53] France eventually sent troops through Operation Turquoise, but this was controversial and came too late to make a difference.^[54] The RPF took control of Kigali on July 4 and the whole country by July 18. A transitional government was sworn in with Pasteur Bizimungu as president.^[55]

The new regime faced immediate problems, with approximately two million Hutus having fled to neighbouring countries, in particular Zaire, fearing RPF reprisals for the genocide.^[56] Thousands of these died in epidemics of diseases common to the squalor of refugee camps, such as cholera.^[57] The United States staged the Operation Support Hope airlift from July to September 1994 to stabilize the situation in the camps.^[58]

After the victory of the RPF, the size of United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR, henceforth called UNAMIR 2) was increased to its full strength, remaining in Rwanda until March 8, 1996.^[59]

In October 1996, an uprising by the ethnic Tutsi Banyamulenge people in eastern Zaire marked the beginning of the First Congo War, and led to a return of more than 600,000 to Rwanda during the last two weeks of November. This massive repatriation was followed at the end of December 1996 by the return of 500,000 more from Tanzania after they were ejected by the Tanzanian government. Various successor organizations to the Hutu militants operated in eastern DR Congo until May 22, 2009.

After its military victory in July 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front organized a coalition government similar to that established by President Juvénal Habyarimana in 1992. Called The Broad Based Government of National Unity, its fundamental law is based on a combination of the constitution, the Arusha accords, and political declarations by the parties. The MRND party was outlawed. Political organizing was banned until 2003. The first post-war presidential and legislative elections were held in August and September 2003 respectively.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1994 and 1997, the GDP growth was nearly 70%. In the following years, annual GDP growth remained relatively high between 6% and 9%. The last three years have also seen spectacular GDP growth at an average rate of over 8%. In 2008, Rwanda registered double digit growth at 11.2%.

Politics and government

Rebuilding

President Paul Kagame in 2006

A new constitution, written by the Kagame government, was then adopted by referendum in 2003. The first post-war presidential and legislative elections were held in August and September 2003, respectively. The stated RPF-led government goals were to promote reconciliation and unity among all Rwandans through the new constitution by forbidding any political activity or discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion. Right of return to Rwandans displaced between 1959 and 1994, was enshrined in the constitution and the constitution guarantees "All persons originating from Rwanda and their descendants shall, upon their request, be entitled to Rwandan nationality" and "No Rwandan shall be banished from the country."^[60]

By law, at least a third of the Parliamentary representation must be female. In the parliamentary election of September 2008, 56% of seats were won by women.^[61]

The Senate has at least 26 members, each with a term of eight years. Eight posts are appointed by the president. 12 are elected representatives of the former 11 provinces and the city of Kigali. Four members are designated by the Forum of Political Organizations (a quasi-governmental organization that currently is an arm of the dominant political party); one member is a university lecturer or researcher elected by the public universities; one member is a university lecturer or researcher elected by the private universities. Any past President has permanent membership in the Senate. Under this scheme, up to 12 appointees to the Senate are appointed by the President and his party. The elected members must be approved by the Supreme Court. The 14 Supreme Court members are designated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies has 80 members, each with a 5 year term; 24 posts are reserved for women and are elected by province; 53 posts can be men or women and are also are elected by local elections; 2 posts are elected by the National Youth Council; 1 post is elected by Federation of the Associations of the Disabled.

The President and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies must be from different political parties. The President is elected every seven years, and may serve a maximum of two terms. In 2006, however, the structure of the country was reorganized. It is unclear how this affects current elected representation proportions.

The current Rwandan government, led by Paul Kagame, has been praised by many for establishing security and promoting reconciliation and economic development, but is also criticized by some for being overly militant and opposed to dissent.

Administrative divisions

Rwanda is divided into five provinces (intara) and subdivided into thirty districts (akarere). The provinces are:

• Northern Province
• Eastern Province
• Southern Province
• Western Province
• Kigali Province

Prior to 1 January 2006, Rwanda was composed of twelve provinces (known as prefectures up to 2001), but these were abolished in full and redrawn as part of a program of decentralization and reorganization.

Geography and climate

The confluence of the Kagera and Ruvubu rivers in south-eastern Rwanda, part of the upper Nile river.

At 26,338 square kilometres (10,169 sq mi), Rwanda is the world's 148th-largest country.^[62] It is comparable in size to Haiti and the U.S. State of Maryland, and a little larger than Wales.^[1][63] The country is located in Central and East Africa, a few degrees south of the Equator and is landlocked.^[64] The country neighbours the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Uganda to the north; Tanzania to the east; and Burundi to the south.^[1] The capital, Kigali, is located in the centre of the country.^[65]

Central and western Rwanda is dominated by mountains, with the Albertine branch of the Great Rift Valley running from north to south along the country's western border.^[11] The highest peaks are found in the Virunga chain of volcanoes in the north-west, including Mount Karisimbi, Rwanda's highest point at 4,507 metres (14,787 ft).^[66] This western section of the country, which lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests ecoregion,^[67] has an average elevation ranging between 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) and 2,500 metres (8,202 ft).^[11] The eastern slopes are more moderate, with rolling hills extending across central uplands at gradually reducing altitudes, to the plains and swamps of the eastern border region.^[11] Rwanda is also noted for its lakes. Lake Kivu is the largest, occupying the floor of the Rift Valley along most of the length of Rwanda's western border and is one of the twenty deepest lakes in the world with a maximum depth of 480 metres (1,575 ft).^[68] Other notable lakes include Burera, Ruhondo, Muhazi, Rweru and Ihema, the last being the largest of a string of lakes in the eastern plains of Akagera National Park.^[69]

The watershed between the major drainage basins of the Congo and the Nile runs from north to south through Rwanda, with around 80% of the country's area draining into the Nile and 20% into the Congo, via the Ruzizi River and Lake Tanganyika.^[70] The country's longest river is the Nyabarongo, which rises in the south-west, flows north, east and south-east before merging with the Ruvubu to form the Kagera, which flows due north along the eastern border with Tanzania. The Nyabarongo-Kagera eventually drains into Lake Victoria, and its source in Nyungwe Forest is a contender for the overall source of the Nile.^[71]

Rwanda has a temperate tropical highland climate, with lower temperatures than is typical for equatorial countries due to the high altitude.^[64] In Rubona, in the centre of the country, daily temperatures typically range between 14 °C (57 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) and there is little variation through the year.^[72] There is, however, some variation across the country with the mountainous west being generally cooler than the lower lying east.^[73] There are two rainy seasons in the year, from February to June and from September to December. These are separated by two dry seasons: the major one from June to September, during which there is often no rain at all, and a shorter and less reliable one from December to February.^[74] Rainfall also varies geographically, with twice as much average annual precipitation in the west as in the east.^[75]

Economy and infrastructure

Coffee, such as this bag of Maraba Coffee, is one of Rwanda's major cash crops.

Rwanda's economy suffered heavily during the 1994 genocide, with widespread loss of life, failure to maintain the infrastructure, looting and neglect of important cash crops causing a large drop in GDP and destroying the country's ability to attract private and external investment.^[1] The country has since strengthened, with per-capita GDP (PPP) estimated at $951 in 2008,^[76] compared with just $390 in 1994.^[77] Major export markets include China, Germany and the United States.^[1] The currency is the Rwandan franc and the economy is managed by the central National Bank of Rwanda, although Rwanda recently joined the East African Community and there are plans for a common East African shilling, which could be in place by 2010.^[78]

Rwanda is a country of few natural resources, and the economy is based mostly on semi-subsistence agriculture by local farmers using simple tools.^[79] An estimated 90% of the working population farms, and agriculture comprised an estimated 39.4% of GDP in 2006.^[1] Since the mid 1980s, farm sizes and food production have been decreasing, due in part to the resettlement of displaced people.^[80][81] Thus despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food imports.^[1] Crops grown in the country include coffee, tea, pyrethrum, bananas, beans, sorghum and potatoes. Coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export, with the high altitudes, steep slopes and volcanic soils providing favourable conditions. Reliance on agricultural exports makes Rwanda vulnerable to shifts in their prices.^[82]

The mountain gorilla is Rwanda's leading tourist attraction

Livestock are raised throughout the country, with animal husbandry contributing around 8.8% of GDP in 2006.^[83] Animals raised in Rwanda include cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chicken and rabbits, with geographical variation in the numbers of each.^[83] Production systems are mostly traditional, although there are a few intensive dairy farms around Kigali.^[83] Shortage of land, water shortage, insufficient and poor quality feed and regular disease epidemics with insufficient veterinary service are major constraints, restricting output in this sector. Fishing takes place on the country's lakes, but stocks are very depleted and live fish are now being imported in an attempt to revive the industry.^[84]

The industrial sector is small and uncompetitive.^[85] Products manufactured include cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes.^[1] Despite being a landlocked country of few natural resources, Rwanda's mining industry is an important contributor, generating US$93 million in 2008.^[86] Minerals mined include cassiterite, coltan, wolfram, and gold and coltan, which is used in the manufacture of electronic and communication devices such as mobile phones.^[86][87]

Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors and is now the country's leading foreign exchange earner, generating US$214 million in 2008, up by 54% on the previous year.^[88] Despite the genocide, the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination,^[89][90] and one million people are estimated to have visited the country in 2008, up from 826,374 in 2007.^[88] The country's most popular tourist activity is the tracking of mountain gorillas, which takes place in the Volcanoes National Park.^[89][91] Other attractions include Nyungwe Forest, home to chimpanzees, Ruwenzori colobus and other primates,^[92] the resorts of Lake Kivu,^[93] and Akagera, a small savanna reserve in the east of the country.^[94]

The largest radio and television stations are state-run, with Radio Rwanda being the main source of news throughout the country. Most Rwandans have access to radio, whereas television is restricted mostly to urban areas.^[95] The press is tightly restricted and newspapers routinely self-censor to avoid government reprisals.^[95] Restrictions have been increased in the run-up to the August 2010 elections, with two independent newspapers, Umuseso and Umuvugizi, being suspended for six months by the High Media Council.^[96]

A large amount of investment in the transport infrastructure of Rwanda has been made by the government since the 1994 genocide, with aid from the USA, European Union, Japan and others. The transport system centres primarily around the road network, with paved roads between the capital, Kigali and most other major cities and towns in the country.^[97] Rwanda is also linked by road to other countries in East Africa, notably to the port of Mombasa via Kampala and Nairobi, which provides Rwanda's most important trade route.^[98] The principal form of public transport in the country is share taxi, with express routes linking the major cities and local services serving most villages along the main roads of the country. Coach services are available to various destinations in neighbouring countries. The country has an international airport at Kigali, serving one domestic and several international destinations.^[74][99] The country has no railways at present, although funding has been secured for a feasibility study into extending the Tanzanian Central Line into Rwanda.^[100] There is no public water transport between the port cities on Lake Kivu, although a limited private service exists.^[101]

Demographics

Most Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda, one of the country's three official languages, and in market towns many people speak Swahili. Educated Rwandans speak French. In 2008 the Rwandan government announced that English would receive official recognition. This change was initiated to ensure further integration with the east-African economic community. Rwanda was admitted in November 2009 to membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.^[102]

Religion

Most Rwandans are Christian, with significant changes since the genocide.

Rural children.

A 2006 study reported that 56.5 percent of the population were Catholic (with a 6.9% increase since the 2001 survey), 37.1 percent Protestant (of which 11.1 percent are Seventh Day Adventists, and 14,000 Jehovah's Witnesses), 4.6 percent Muslim, 1.7 claimed no religious beliefs, and 0.1 percent practiced traditional indigenous beliefs.^[104]

Figures from 2001 survey were 49.6 % Catholic, 43.9 % Protestant, 4.6 % Muslim, 1.7 % no religious beliefs, and 0.1 % traditional indigenous beliefs. This represented a 19.9 percent increase in the number of Protestants, a 7.6 percent drop in the number of Catholics, and a 3.5 percent increase in the number of Muslims from the U.N. Population Fund survey in 1996.

There has been a proliferation of small, usually Christian-linked schismatic religious groups since the 1994 Genocide.^[103] The figures for Protestants include the growing number of members of Jehovah's Witnesses and evangelical Protestant groups. There also is a small population of Baha'is and Jews.^[105][106]

The Muslim community may have grown in part because Muslims are reported to have saved the lives of many Tutsis from Hutu attacks.^[107][108] Some estimate the Muslim population of the country to be as high as 14%.^{[95][107][108][109]}

According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Rwanda hosted 54,200 refugees and asylum seekers in 2007. Approximately 51,300 refugees and asylum seekers were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 2,900 from Burundi.^[110]

Health

Fertility is at about six births per woman.^[111] HIV prevalence was at about 3 % of the 15-49 year olds in 2005.^[111] Public expenditure was at 4.3 % of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure was 3.2 %.^[111] There were 5 physicians per 100,000 people in 2000-2004.^[111] Infant mortality was at 118 per 1,000 live births in 2005.^[111]

Culture

Traditional Rwandan Intore dancers

This section requires expansion.

Music

LGBT rights

Homosexuality is legal in Rwanda, although no specific laws regarding homosexuality exist.^[112]

On December 16, 2009, Rwanda discussed legislation that would criminalize homosexuality, proposing 5–10 years imprisonment.^[113] This legislation is similar to the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the neighboring country of Uganda, which would penalize homosexuals with imprisonment and (in cases of relations with a minor or a disabled person, in cases where the "offender" is HIV-positive and in cases of repeated homosexual acts)^[114] the death penalty.

Education

Net primary enrollment rate was at 74 % in 2004.^[111] Public expenditure was at 3.8 % of the GDP in 2002-2005.^[111] A significant minority of the adult population of Rwanda is illiterate, particularly women.^[111] Public primary education has become fee-free.^[115] Kinyarwanda, French and English are taught generally.^[116] Rwanda has several universities.^[117]

Primary and secondary

Post-secondary institutions

There are 20 places of higher education in Rwanda with 6 public and 14 private:^[118]

Public

• Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (est. 1998 by UNDP) ^[119]
• National University of Rwanda (1963)
• Umutara Polytechnic (2004)
• Kigali Institute of Education
• Kigali Health Institute
• Higher Agriculture and Veterinary Institute
• School of Finance and Banking
• Rwanda Rehabilitation Center(Prison Island)^[120]

Private

• Adventist University of Central Africa
• Kigali Independent University
• Kigali Lay Adventist University
• Gitwe Institute of Education
• Kibungo University of Agriculture, Technology and Education
• Kabgayi Catholic University
• Butare Protestant Theological College
• International College of Accountancy and Management
• Nyakibanda Major Seminary
• Byumba Polytechnic Institute
• Rwanda Pentecostal University
• Kigali Professional Institute

International rankings

See also

Rwanda portal

• History of Rwanda
• Rwandan Genocide
• International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
• Politics of Rwanda
• Education in Rwanda
• Geography of Rwanda
• Transport in Rwanda
• Economy of Rwanda
• Demographics of Rwanda
• Religion in Rwanda
• Rwandan parliamentary election, 2008
• Youth village

Notes

References

External links

Find more about Rwanda on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions from Wiktionary
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

Government

• The Republic of Rwanda official government site
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General

• Rwanda entry at The World Factbook
• Rwanda from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Rwanda at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Rwanda
• Star of the Continent, Haaretz

Travel

• Rwanda Tourism official Rwanda Tourism Board site
• Airline web site UK
• Rwanda travel guide from Wikitravel

Articles Related to Rwanda v • d • e  Rwanda topics History Timeline · Kingdom of Rwanda · Origins of Tutsi and Hutu · Rwandan Civil War · Rwandan Genocide Politics Chamber of Deputies · Constitution · Elections · Flag · Foreign relations · Law enforcement · Political parties · President · Prime Minister · Rwandan Defence Forces · Senate Geography Cities · Districts · Lakes · Provinces · Volcanoes · Wildlife Economy and infrastructure Airports · Communications · National Bank · Rwandan franc · Tourism · Transport · Water supply and sanitation Demographics and society Ethnic groups · Notable Rwandans · Education · Holidays Culture Cuisine · Literature · Music · Religion Portal    Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 1°56′38″S 30°3′34″E / 1.94389°S 30.05944°E / -1.94389; 30.05944 (Kigali) v • d • e Countries and territories of Africa West Africa Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo North Africa Algeria · Egypt · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia Central Africa Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe East Africa Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Seychelles · Somalia · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Southern Africa Botswana · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · Somaliland Partially in Africa France (Réunion) · Italy (Pantelleria) · Portugal (Madeira) · Spain (Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía) · Yemen (Socotra) Dependencies Iles Eparses (France) · Mayotte (France) · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Disputed areas Western Sahara v • d • e List of former German colonies and protectorates Colonies Africa Wituland · German East Africa (Tanganyika · Rwanda · Burundi · Kionga Triangle) · Togoland · German South-West Africa (Namibia) · German West Africa (Kamerun · Neukamerun) Pacific German New Guinea (German Solomon Islands · German Marshall Islands · Caroline Islands · German Mariana Islands · Nauru · Palau) · German Samoa Concessions China German Kiautschou (Tsingtao)  · Tientsin Unrecognised Antarctica New Swabia   International membership v • d • e African Union (AU) Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe v • d • e Member states and observers of the Francophonie Members Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Belgium (French Community) · Benin · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada (New Brunswick • Quebec) · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Cyprus1 · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Dominica · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · France (French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Martinique • St. Pierre and Miquelon) · Gabon · Ghana1 · Greece · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Laos · Luxembourg · Lebanon · Macedonia2 · Madagascar · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Moldova · Monaco · Morocco · Niger · Romania · Rwanda · St. Lucia · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Switzerland · Togo · Tunisia · Vanuatu · Vietnam Observers Austria · Croatia · Czech Republic · Georgia · Hungary · Latvia · Lithuania · Mozambique · Poland · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Thailand · Ukraine 1 Associate member. 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. v • d • e Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji (suspended) · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands   Languages v • d • e Niger-Congo-speaking nations   Kordofanian  Sudan   Mande      Gambia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Mali  Mauritania  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Liberia  Côte d'Ivoire  Nigeria  Burkina Faso  Benin  Togo   Atlantic-Congo     Atlantic  Benin  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  CAR Ijoid  Nigeria  Chad  Côte d'Ivoire  Gambia  Guinea Dogon  Mali  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Mali  Mauritania  Niger  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Sudan  Togo   Volta-Congo     Senufo  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Mali Gur  Benin  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Mali  Nigeria  Togo Adamawa-Ubangi  Cameroon  CAR  Chad  Nigeria Kru  Burkina Faso  Côte d'Ivoire  Liberia Kwa  Benin  Côte d'Ivoire  Ghana  Nigeria  Togo   Benue-Congo     Bantu  Angola  Botswana  Burundi  Cameroon  DRC Yoruba and Igbo  Nigeria  Rep. of the Congo  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  Kenya  Lesotho  Nigeria  Malawi  Mozambique  Namibia  Rwanda  South Africa  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe CAR = Central African Republic • DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo v • d • e English-speaking world Anglosphere Dark blue: Countries and territories where English is spoken natively by a significant population. Light blue: Countries where English is an official language but less widely spoken. Click on the coloured regions to view the related article.     Regions where English is an official language and spoken by a significant population Africa Nigeria · Mauritius · Saint Helena · South Africa  Americas Anguilla · Antigua and Barbuda · The Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Canada · Cayman Islands · Dominica · Falkland Islands · Grenada · Guyana · Jamaica · Montserrat · Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saint Eustatius, Saint Maarten)  · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Turks and Caicos Islands · United States · United States Virgin Islands Asia Hong Kong · Philippines · Singapore Europe Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Malta · Republic of Ireland · United Kingdom Oceania Australia · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau   Regions where English is an official language but not as widely spoken Africa Botswana · Cameroon · Ghana · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Namibia · Rwanda · Sierra Leone · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Americas Puerto Rico Asia India · Malaysia · Pakistan    Oceania Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu English Wiktionary