Ethnic groups: Hutu 80%, Tutsi 19%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous
beliefs and other 25%
Languages: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French
(official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial
centers
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.5%
male: 69.8%
female: 51.6% (1995 est.)
@Rwanda:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Rwandese Republic
conventional short form: Rwanda
local long form: Republika y'u Rwanda
local short form: Rwanda
Data code: RW
Government type: republic; presidential, multiparty system
National capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 12 prefectures (prefectures,
singular-prefecture in French; plural - NA, singular-prefegitura in
Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama,
Kibungo, Kibuye, Kigali, Kigaliville, Umutara, Ruhengeri
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly
adopted a new constitution which included elements of the constitution
of 18 June 1991 as well as provisions of the 1993 Arusha peace accord
and the November 1994 multi-party protocol of understanding
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); Vice
President Maj. Gen. Paul KAGAME (since 19 July 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Celestin RWIGEMA (since 1 September
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: normally the president is elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; election last held in December 1988 (next to be held
NA); prime minister is appointed by the president
election results: Juvenal HABYARIMANA elected president; percent of
vote-99.98% (HABYARIMANA was the sole candidate)
note: President HABYARIMANA was assassinated on 6 April 1994 and
replaced by President BIZIMUNGU who was installed by the military
forces of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front on 19 July 1994
Legislative branch: unicameral Transitional National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale de Transition (70 seat
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