rket; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption
and organized crime are major concerns; heroin an increasing threat in
domestic drug market

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Rwanda

Introduction

Rwanda

Background: In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the
majority ethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over
the next several years thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000
driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles
later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front and began a
civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic
upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions culminating in April 1994 in
the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi
rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but
approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution -
fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. Since then
most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda. Despite substantial
international assistance and political reforms - including Rwanda's first
local elections in March 1999 - the country continues to struggle to
boost investment and agricultural output and to foster reconciliation. A
series of massive population displacements, a nagging Hutu extremist
insurgency, and Rwandan involvement in two wars over the past four years
in the neighboring DROC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts.

Geography Rwanda

Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 26,338 sq km water: 1,390 sq km land: 24,948 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), wo