aphic coordinates: 2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 26,340 sq km
land: 24,950 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 893 km
border countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 217
km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to
January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m
highest point : Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m

Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten
ore), natural gas, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 35%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures : 18%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are
in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the
Congo

Environment - current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled
cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified : Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea

Geography - note: landlocked; predominantly rural population

@Rwanda:People

Population: 7,737,537 (July 1997 est.)
note : genocide and civil war in 1994 killed more than 1 million
Rwandans and forced more than 2 million to flee to neighboring
countries

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,769,247; female 1,757,957)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,978,076; female 2,018,141)
65 years and over: 3% (male 88,556; female 125,560) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 8.24% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 38.73 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 21.06 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 64.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
note: following the outbreak of genocidal strife in Rwanda in April
1994 between Tutsi and Hutu factions, more than 2 million refugees
fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic
of the Congo, formerly Zaire; according to the UN High Commission on
Refugees, in 1996 and early 1997 nearly 1,300,000