Judicial branch:Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Supreme Arbitration Court;judges for all courts are appointed for life by the FederationCouncil on the recommendation of the president
Political parties and leaders:A Just Russia or JR [Sergey MIRONOV] (formed from the merger ofthree small political parties: Rodina (Motherland), PensionersParty, and Party of Life); Communist Party of the Russian Federationor CPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Liberal Democratic Party ofRussia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich ZHIRINOVSKIY]; People's Party[Gennadiy GUDKOV]; Union of Right Forces or SPS [Nikita BELYKH];United Russia or UR [Boris Vyacheslavovich GRYZLOV]; Yabloko Party[Grigoriy Alekseyevich YAVLINSKIY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC,CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, G- 8, GCTU, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA(observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer),OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNSecurity Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE,UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yuriy Viktorovich USHAKOV chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708 FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William J. BURNS embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721 telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000 FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090 consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
Economy Russia
Economy - overview: Russia ended 2006 with its eighth straight year of growth, averaging 6.7% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven demand have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last five years, and real personal incomes have realized average increases over 12%. During this time, poverty has declined steadily and the middle class has continued to expand. Russia has also improved its international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis. Over the past several years, Russia has used its stabilization fund based on oil taxes to prepay all Soviet-era sovereign debt to Paris Club creditors and the IMF. Foreign debt has decreased to 39% of GDP, mainly due to decreasing state debt, while commercial debt to foreigners has risen strongly. Oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its foreign reserves from $12 billion in 1999 to some $315 billion at yearend 2006, the third largest reserves in the world. These achievements, along with a renewed government effort to advance structural reforms and fiscal restraint, have raised business and investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Russia's economy grew 6.6% in 2006 and inflation growth was below 10% for the first time in the past 10 years. Russia shows signs of increasing its ties to the global economy, having signed a bilateral market access agreement with the US as a prelude to possible WTO entry. Nevertheless, serious problems persist. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world commodity prices. Russia's manufacturing base is dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve broad-based economic growth. The banking system, while growing at a high rate and increasing consumer lending, is still small relative to the banking sectors of Russia's emerging market peers. Domestic and foreign investor sentiment is tempered by political uncertainties ahead of elections, corruption, and widespread lack of trust in institutions. President PUTIN continues to grant more influence to forces within his government that desire to reassert state control over the economy. Government spending has increased and risks becoming populist, most notably in the form of the four "national projects" of agriculture, education, housing, and medicine. Russia has made little progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.723 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$733 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:6.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$12,100 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.3% industry: 36.6% services: 58.2% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 73.88 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10.8% industry: 29.1% services: 60.1% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:6.6% plus considerable underemployment (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:17.8% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 38.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:40.5 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):9.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):18.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $222.2 billionexpenditures: $157.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Public debt:8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Industries:complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal,oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building fromrolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles;defense industries including radar, missile production, and advancedelectronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportationequipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery,tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating andtransmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumerdurables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:4.8% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production:952.4 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 66.3% hydro: 17.2% nuclear: 16.4% other: 0.1% (2003)
Electricity - consumption:940 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:22.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:9.9 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production:9.4 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:2.5 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:7 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:100,000 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:74.4 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:641 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:445.1 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:216.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:36.6 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:47.57 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$105.3 billion (2006 est.)
Exports:$317.6 billion (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and woodproducts, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian andmilitary manufactures
Exports - partners:Netherlands 10.3%, Germany 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, China 5.5%, Ukraine5.2%, Turkey 4.5%, Switzerland 4.4% (2005)
Imports:$171.5 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, sugar,semifinished metal products
Imports - partners:Germany 13.6%, Ukraine 8%, China 7.4%, Japan 6%, Belarus 4.7%, US4.7%, Italy 4.6%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$314.5 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external:$287.4 billion (30 June 2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:in FY01 from US, $979 million (including $750 million innon-proliferation subsidies); in 2001 from EU, $200 million (2000est.)
Currency (code):Russian ruble (RUR)
Currency code:RUR
Exchange rates:Russian rubles per US dollar - 27.5 (2006), 28.284 (2005), 28.814(2004), 30.692 (2003), 31.349 (2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Russia
Telephones - main lines in use:40.1 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:120 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: the telephone system is experiencingsignificant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed tooffer communication services; access to digital lines has improved,particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services areimproving; Russia has made progress toward building thetelecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy;the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1million in 1998 to 120 million in 2005; a large demand for main lineservice remains unsatisfied, but fixed-line operators continue togrow their servicesdomestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from SaintPetersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; thetelephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digitalinfrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, areavailable in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services arestill outdated, inadequate, and low densityinternational: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationallyby three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in severalcities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik,Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
Radio broadcast stations:AM 323, FM 1,500 est., shortwave 62 (2004)
Radios:61.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:7,306 (1998)
Televisions:60.5 million (1997)
Internet country code:.ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union, and whose legal statusand ownership are contested by the Russian Government, ICANN, andseveral Russian commercial entities
Internet hosts:1,979,924 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):300 (June 2000)
Internet users:23.7 million (2005)
Transportation Russia
Airports: 1,623 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 616over 3,047 m: 512,438 to 3,047 m: 1981,524 to 2,437 m: 130914 to 1,523 m: 100under 914 m: 137 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 1,007over 3,047 m: 92,438 to 3,047 m: 161,524 to 2,437 m: 75914 to 1,523 m: 127under 914 m: 780 (2006)
Heliports:52 (2006)
Pipelines:condensate 122 km; gas 156,285 km; oil 72,283 km; refined products13,658 km (2006)
Railways:total: 87,157 kmbroad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serveindustries (2005)
Roadways:total: 871,000 kmpaved: 738,000 km (including 29,000 km of expressways)unpaved: 133,000 kmnote: includes public and departmental roads (2004)
Waterways:102,000 km (including 33,000 km with guaranteed depth)note: 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, WhiteSea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 1,178 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,080,341 GRT/6,287,784 DWTby type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 46, cargo 743, chemicaltanker 25, combination ore/oil 38, container 13, passenger 12,passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 219, refrigerated cargo 54, rollon/roll off 15, specialized tanker 5foreign-owned: 100 (Belgium 4, Canada 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 1,Germany 2, Greece 1, Latvia 2, Malta 4, Norway 1, Switzerland 7,Turkey 63, Ukraine 11, US 1)registered in other countries: 465 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas6, Belize 36, Bulgaria 1, Cambodia 105, Comoros 4, Cyprus 53,Dominica 2, Finland 1, Georgia 28, North Korea 1, Liberia 77, Malta70, Marshall Islands 1, Mongolia 13, Panama 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 29, Sierra Leone 1, Tuvalu 2,Ukraine 1, Vanuatu 1, Venezuela 1, unknown 14) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Anapa, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk,Rostov-na-Donu, Saint Petersburg, Taganrog, Vanino, Vostochnyy
Military Russia
Military branches:Ground Forces (SV), Navy (VMF), Air Forces (VVS); Airborne Troops(VDV), Strategic Rocket Troops (RVSN), and Space Troops (KV) areindependent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the threebranches
Military service age and obligation: Russia has adopted a mixed conscript-contract force; 18-27 years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; length of compulsory military service is two years; plans call for reduction in mandatory service to 18 months in 2007 and to one year by 2008; 30% of Russian army personnel were contract servicemen at the end of 2005; planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of conscripts; as of November 2006, the Armed Forces had more than 60 units manned with contract personnel totalling over 78,000 contract privates and sergeants; 88 Ministry of Defense units have been designated as permanent readiness units and are expected to become all-volunteer by end 2007; these include most air force, naval, and nuclear arms units, as well as all airborne and naval infantry units, most motorized rifle brigades, and all special forces detachments (2006)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 35,247,049females age 18-49: 35,986,426 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 21,049,651females age 18-49: 29,056,021 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 1,286,069females age 18-49: 1,244,264 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Transnational Issues Russia
Disputes - international:China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at theAmur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance withthe 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputes; thesovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri,Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "NorthernTerritories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by theSoviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed byJapan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treatyformally ending World War II hostilities; Russia and Georgia agreeon delimiting all but small, strategic segments of the land boundaryand the maritime boundary; OSCE observers monitor volatile areassuch as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Kodori Gorgein Abkhazia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed equidistanceboundaries in the Caspian seabed but the littoral states have noconsensus on dividing the water column; Russia and Norway disputetheir maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rightsbeyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treatyzone; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia(Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following theSecond World War but the Finnish Government asserts no territorialdemands; in May 2005, Russia recalled its signatures to the 1996border agreements with Estonia (1996) and Latvia (1997), when thetwo Baltic states announced issuance of unilateral declarationsreferencing Soviet occupation and ensuing territorial losses; Russiademands better treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia;Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of theboundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring thenow divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region withinEstonia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating theirboundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treatyratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuaniaoperates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals travelingfrom the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while stillconforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, wherestrict Schengen border rules apply; preparations for the demarcationdelimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commenced; thedispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through theKerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December2003 framework agreement and on-going expert-level discussions;Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007; Russian Duma hasnot yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement withthe US
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 25,000-180,000 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia)(2006)
Trafficking in persons:current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destinationcountry for men, women, and children trafficked for variouspurposes; it remains a significant source of women trafficked toover 50 countries for commercial sexual exploitation; Russia is alsoa transit and destination country for men and women trafficked fromCentral Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Korea to Central and WesternEurope and the Middle East for purposes of forced labor and sexualexploitation; internal trafficking remains a problem in Russia withwomen trafficked from rural areas to urban centers for commercialsexual exploitation, and men are trafficked internally and fromCentral Asia for forced labor in the construction and agriculturalindustries; debt bondage is common among trafficking victims, andchild sex tourism remains a concerntier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Russia is placed on the Tier 2Watch List for a third consecutive year for its continued failure toshow evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking,particularly in the area of victim protection and assistance
Illicit drugs:limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy andproducer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption;government has active illicit crop eradication program; used astransshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin Americancocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extentWestern and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major sourceof heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime arekey concerns; heroin increasingly popular in domestic market
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Rwanda
Introduction Rwanda
Background:In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the majorityethnic group, the Hutus, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over thenext several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children ofthese exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front(RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with severalpolitical and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions,culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsisand moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime andended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Huturefugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboringBurundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire. Since then, most ofthe refugees have returned to Rwanda, but several thousand remain inneighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo and formed an extremistinsurgency bent on retaking Rwanda, much as the RPF tried in 1990.Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms -including Rwanda's first local elections in March 1999 and its firstpost-genocide presidential and legislative elections in August andSeptember 2003 - the country continues to struggle to boostinvestment and agricultural output, and ethnic reconciliation iscomplicated by the real and perceived Tutsi political dominance.Kigali's increasing centralization and intolerance of dissent, thenagging Hutu extremist insurgency across the border, and Rwandaninvolvement in two wars in recent years in the neighboringDemocratic Republic of the Congo continue to hinder Rwanda's effortsto escape its bloody legacy.
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 kmland: 24,948 sq kmwater: 1,390 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:total: 893 kmborder countries: Burundi 290 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo217 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km
Coastline:0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:none (landlocked)
Climate:temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November toJanuary); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain:mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous withaltitude declining from west to east
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Rusizi River 950 mhighest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m
Natural resources:gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane,hydropower, arable land
Land use:arable land: 45.56%permanent crops: 10.25%other: 44.19% (2005)
Irrigated land:90 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in thenorthwest 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; widespread poaching
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with thepopulation predominantly rural
People Rwanda
Population:8,648,248note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,817,998/female 1,802,134)15-64 years: 55.6% (male 2,392,778/female 2,417,467)65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,325/female 130,546) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 18.6 yearsmale: 18.4 yearsfemale: 18.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:2.43% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:40.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:16.09 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 89.61 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 94.71 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 84.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 47.3 yearsmale: 46.26 yearsfemale: 48.38 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:5.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:250,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:22,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: very highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, andtyphoid fevervectorborne disease: malaria (2007)
Nationality:noun: Rwandan(s)adjective: Rwandan
Ethnic groups:Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions:Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%,indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001)
Languages:Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French(official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used incommercial centers
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 70.4%male: 76.3%female: 64.7% (2003 est.)
People - note:Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Government Rwanda
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Rwandaconventional short form: Rwandalocal long form: Republika y'u Rwandalocal short form: Rwandaformer: Ruanda, German East Africa
Government type:republic; presidential, multiparty system
Capital:name: Kigaligeographic coordinates: 1 57 S, 30 04 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:5 provinces (in French - provinces, singular - province; inKinyarwanda - prefigintara for singular and plural); East, Kigali,North, South, West
Independence:1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:new constitution adopted 4 June 2003
Legal system:based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law;judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has notaccepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:chief of state: President Paul KAGAME (since 22 April 2000)head of government: Prime Minister Bernard MAKUZA (since 8 March2000)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelections: President elected by popular vote for a seven-year term(eligible for a second term); elections last held 25 August 2003(next to be held in 2010)election results: Paul KAGAME elected president in first directpopular vote; Paul KAGAME 95.05%, Faustin TWAGIRAMUNGU 3.62%,Jean-Nepomuscene NAYINZIRA 1.33%
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (26 seats; 12 memberselected local councils, 8 appointed by the president, 4 by thePolitical Organizations Forum, 2 represent institutions of higherlearning, to serve eight-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (80seats; 53 members elected by popular vote, 24 women elected by localbodies, 3 selected by youth and disability organizations, to servefive-year terms)elections: Senate - last held NA, members appointed as part of thetransitional government (next to be held in 2011); Chamber ofDeputies - last held 29 September 2003 (next to be held in 2008)election results: seats by party under the 2003 Constitution - RPF40, PSD 7, PL 6, additional 27 members indirectly elected
Judicial branch:Supreme Court; High Courts of the Republic; Provincial Courts;District Courts; mediation committees
Political parties and leaders:Centrist Democratic Party or PDC [Alfred MUKEZAMFURA]; DemocraticPopular Union of Rwanda or UDPR [Adrien RANGIRA]; DemocraticRepublican Movement or MDR [Celestin KABANDA] (officially banned);Islamic Democratic Party or PDI [Andre BUMAYA]; Liberal Party or PL[Prosper HIGIRO]; Party for Democratic Renewal (officially banned);Rwandan Patriotic Front or RPF [Paul KAGAME]; Social DemocraticParty or PSD [Vincent BIRUTA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:IBUKA - association of genocide survivors
International organization participation:ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Zac NSENGAchancery: 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009telephone: [1] (202) 232-2882FAX: [1] (202) 232-4544
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael ARIETTI embassy: 337 Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali mailing address: B. P. 28, Kigali telephone: [250] 50 56 01 through 03 FAX: [250] 57 2128
Flag description:three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, andgreen, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blueband
Economy Rwanda
Economy - overview:Rwanda is a poor rural country with about 90% of the populationengaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most denselypopulated country in Africa and is landlocked with few naturalresources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners arecoffee and tea. The 1994 genocide decimated Rwanda's fragileeconomic base, severely impoverished the population, particularlywomen, and eroded the country's ability to attract private andexternal investment. However, Rwanda has made substantial progressin stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels,although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded andinflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, foodproduction often does not keep pace with population growth,requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aidmoney and obtained IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country(HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005. Kigali's high defenseexpenditures have caused tension between the government andinternational donors and lending agencies. Rwanda obtained debtrelief from the IMF and World Bank in 2006. Rwanda also receivedMillennium Challenge Account Threshold status in 2006. Energyshortages, instability in neighboring states, and lack of adequatetransportation linkages to other countries continue to handicapgrowth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$13.54 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$1.968 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:5.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 39.4% industry: 23.3% services: 37.3% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 4.6 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10%
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:60% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 24.2% (1985)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:28.9 (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):6.7% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):19.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:revenues: $560.9 millionexpenditures: $654 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums),bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; livestock
Industries:cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap,furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Industrial production growth rate:7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:93 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.3% hydro: 97.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:196.5 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:10 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:120 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:5,400 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:56.63 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance:$-104.1 million (2006 est.)
Exports:$135.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
Exports - partners:Germany 11%, China 6.5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005)
Imports:$390.4 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products,cement and construction material
Imports - partners:Kenya 21.5%, Uganda 6.4%, Belgium 5.7%, Germany 5.5%, Israel 4.1%(2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$422.8 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external:$1.4 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$425 million (2003)
Currency (code):Rwandan franc (RWF)
Currency code:RWF
Exchange rates:Rwandan francs per US dollar - 560 (2006), 610 (2005), 574.62(2004), 537.66 (2003), 476.33 (2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Rwanda
Telephones - main lines in use:23,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:290,000note: Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and severalprovincial capitals (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business andgovernmentdomestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of theprovinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellulartelephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HFradiotelephoneinternational: country code - 250; international connections employmicrowave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellitecommunications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefaxservice)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 8 (two main FM programs are broadcast through a system ofrepeaters, three international FM programs include the BBC, VOA, andDeutchewelle), shortwave 1 (2005)
Radios:601,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:2 (2004)
Televisions:NA; probably less than 1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.rw
Internet hosts:1,590 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2002)
Internet users:38,000 (2005)
Transportation Rwanda
Airports: 9 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 5914 to 1,523 m: 2under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Roadways:total: 14,008 kmpaved: 2,662 kmunpaved: 11,346 km (2004)
Waterways:Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2005)
Ports and terminals:Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
Military Rwanda
Military branches:Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force
Military service age and obligation:16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription(2001)
Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 2,004,750females age 16-49: 1,990,935 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 1,103,823females age 16-49: 1,096,644 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$53.66 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.9% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Rwanda
Disputes - international:fighting among ethnic groups - loosely associated political rebels,armed gangs, and various government forces in Great Lakes regiontranscending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Rwanda, and Uganda - abated substantially from a decade agodue largely to UN peacekeeping, international mediation, and effortsby local governments to create civil societies; nonetheless, 57,000Rwandan refugees still reside in 21 African states, includingZambia, Gabon, and 20,000 who fled to Burundi in 2005 and 2006 toescape drought and recriminations from traditional courtsinvestigating the 1994 massacres; the 2005 DROC and Rwanda borderverification mechanism to stem rebel actions on both sides of theborder remains in place
Refugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 41,403 (Democratic Republic of theCongo), 4,400 (Burundi) (2006)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Saint Helena
Introduction Saint Helena
Background:Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of SaintHelena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan daCunha.Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17thcentury. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE'sexile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as aport of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boerprisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discoveredand named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned theisland in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena andit served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West AfricaSquadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiraltycontrol until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena.During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct anairfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africaand anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960sthe island became an important space tracking station for the US. In1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forcesduring the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling pointin the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands ofTristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan daCunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it wasgarrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescueNapoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have beendesignated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases the site for ameteorological station on Gough Island.
Geography Saint Helena
Location:islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between SouthAmerica and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of SaintHelena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena
Geographic coordinates:Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 WAscension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 WTristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 413 sq kmland: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km;Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:Saint Helena: 60 kmAscension Island: NATristan da Cunha: 40 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade windsAscension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-aridTristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds(tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
Terrain:the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associatedwith the Atlantic Mid-Ocean RidgeSaint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plainsAscension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the eastTristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearlycircular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeplydissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and thecoastal cliffs
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; GreenMountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint HelenaIsland 818 m
Natural resources:fish, lobster
Land use:arable land: 12.9%permanent crops: 0%other: 87.1% (2005)
Irrigated land:NA
Natural hazards:active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961
Environment - current issues:NA
Geography - note:Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhereelse in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtlesand sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is thehighest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominentlandmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa
People Saint Helena
Population:7,502note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands areinhabited (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 18.8% (male 717/female 692)15-64 years: 71.2% (male 2,751/female 2,593)65 years and over: 10% (male 342/female 407) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 36 yearsmale: 36.2 yearsfemale: 35.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.56% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:12.13 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:6.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 14.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.93 yearsmale: 75.02 yearsfemale: 80.98 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Saint Helenian(s)adjective: Saint Heleniannote: referred to locally as "Saints"
Ethnic groups:African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25%
Religions:Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
Languages:English
Literacy:definition: age 20 and over can read and writetotal population: 97%male: 97%female: 98% (1987 est.)
Government Saint Helena
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK
Government type:NA
Capital:name: Jamestowngeographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 Wtime difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, SaintHelena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence:none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:1 January 1989
Legal system:British common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes
Suffrage:NA years of age
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY(since 15 October 2004)cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, threeex-officio officers, and five elected members of the LegislativeCouncilelections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed bythe monarch
Legislative branch:unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popularvote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held NA 2009)election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 12
Judicial branch:Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:none
Political pressure groups and leaders:none
International organization participation:UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant andthe Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag;the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
Economy Saint Helena
Economy - overview:The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK,which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half ofannual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income fromfishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because thereare few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment onAscension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$18 million (1998 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):NA
GDP - real growth rate:NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):$2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force: 2,486 note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 6% industry: 48% services: 46% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate:14% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):3.2% (1997 est.)
Budget:revenues: $11.2 millionexpenditures: $11 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(FY92/93)
Agriculture - products:coffee, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (onTristan da Cunha)
Industries:construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork),fishing, philatelic sales
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:7 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:6.51 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:100 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports:$19 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee,handicrafts
Exports - partners:Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain4.5% (2005)
Imports:$45 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, buildingmaterials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
Imports - partners:UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6%(2005)
Debt - external:$NA
Economic aid - recipient:$12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997)
Currency (code):Saint Helenian pound (SHP)
Currency code:SHP
Exchange rates:Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004),0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), note, the Saint Helenian pound is onpar with the British pound
Fiscal year:1 April - 31 March
Communications Saint Helena
Telephones - main lines in use:2,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:NA
Telephone system:general assessment: can communicate worldwidedomestic: automatic digital networkinternational: country code - 290; international direct dialing;satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations -5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)
Radio broadcast stations:Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
Radios:3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:0note: three television channels are received in Saint Helena viasatellite and distributed by UHF (2005)
Televisions:2,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.sh; note - the IANA has assigned .ac as the ccTLD for AscensionIsland
Internet hosts:329 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:1,000 note - includes Ascension Island (2003)
Communications - note:South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island
Transportation Saint Helena
Airports:1note: Wideawake Field on Ascension Island (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 1over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways:total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan daCunha 20 km)paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha10 km)unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha10 km) (2002)
Ports and terminals:Saint Helena: JamestownAscension Island: GeorgetownTristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor
Transportation - note:there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; aninternational airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010
Military Saint Helena
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Saint Helena
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
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@Saint Kitts and Nevis
Introduction Saint Kitts and Nevis
Background:First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became anassociated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island ofAnguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts andNevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on areferendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirdsmajority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separatefrom Saint Kitts.
Geography Saint Kitts and Nevis
Location:Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the wayfrom Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:17 20 N, 62 45 W
Map references:Central America and the Caribbean
Area:total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)land: 261 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:135 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin