About Rwanda
Rwanda is a landlocked country situated in Central Africa, bordered to the North by Uganda , to the East by Tanzania , by Burundi to the South and by the Democratic Republic of Congo to the West.
Rwanda is infamously known as the scene of the genocide in 1994, in which more than 1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred and which lead an estimated 2 million people to flee the country in the months that followed.
The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) lead by General Paul Kagame put an end to the killing in 1994 and won control of Rwanda in July that year, but inherited a decimated country with virtually no infrastructure and an impoverished and traumatized population. A multiparty transitional government for national unity was established which ended in 2003 with the vote of a new constitution. In a consecutive legislative and presidential election, the RPF and its President Paul Kagame won the vote.
Rwanda 's economy still may be small and predominantly agricultural (39.4% of GDP in 2006). The country registered a 5.8% real GDP Growth in 2006. The annual average inflation was at 8.9% for 2006. Foreign exchange controls have been liberalized and the banking system is sound and thriving.
With its Vision 2020 objective of combating poverty, the Government of Rwanda is embarking on a comprehensive program of privatization and liberalization with a goal of attaining rapid and sustainable economic growth. The goal is to transform the economy from its 90% dependence on subsistence agriculture into a modern, broadly based economic engine, welcoming to investors and creating employment and new opportunities. Rwanda 's recent induction into the East African Community (an economic bloc comprising Uganda , Kenya , Tanzania and Burundi ) should improve its international standing.
The major exports of Rwanda are coffee, tea, tin cassiterite, wolframite and pyrethrum. Coffee makes up more than 50% of the total export value, while the mountain grown tea is considered to be some of the finest in the world. Tourism is also being developed in Rwanda to let tourists take advantage of some of the unique and fascinating features of this small country, (including the rare mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park , and the large numbers of animals' species in Nyungwe and Akagera National Parks ) and benefit the Rwandan economy.
In the UN's global Human Development Report 2007-2008 , Rwanda was ranked 161 out of 177 countries. Key issues which require addressing in Rwanda include 'building a shared sense of national identity in a divided country and poverty reduction. The Government of Rwanda and development partners, including a large and visible United Nations System, are working together to meet these challenges. Further Reading :
National Human Development Report 2007
Rwanda Tourism website
Human Development Report 2007/2008
Rwanda MDG Status Report 2007
Rwanda: 10 Years On
Source: Central Bank of Rwanda ‘s “Revue Economique” of June 2007
Rwanda
