Central Africa.

GMT + 2.

26,338 sq km (10,169 sq miles).

8.6 million (UN estimate 2005).

326.52 per sq km.

Kigali. Population: 800,000 (2005 estimate).

Rwanda is a small mountainous country in central Africa, bordered to the north by Uganda, to the east by Tanzania, to the south by Burundi and to the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country is divided by great peaks of up to 3,000m (9,842ft), which run across the country from north to south. The Virunga volcanoes, rising steeply from Lake Kivu in the west, slope down first to a hilly central plateau and further eastwards to an area of marshy lakes around the upper reaches of the A’Kagera River, where the A’Kagera National Park is situated.

Republic since 1962. Gained independence from Belgium in 1962.

President Paul Kagame since 2000.

Prime Minister Bernard Makuza since 2000.

Domestically, the government faced a formidable task of reconstruction and reconciliation. The government, led by former army chief Paul Kagame, has a fairly impressive record under extremely difficult circumstances. The country relies heavily on western aid to sustain its economy. However, there are signs of an increasingly dictatorial attitude on the part of the government, manifested in the presidential and parliamentary elections held in the summer of 2003: amid numerous allegations of intimidation and ballot rigging, Kagame and the Rwandan Patriotic Front won both polls with a huge majority. Given the Tutsi dominance of the RPF, there is a clear danger of a future repeat of the ethnic violence which has disfigured Rwanda since Independence.

The official languages are Kinyarwanda, French and English. Kiswahili is used for trade and commerce.

Animist (50%), Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) and an Islamic minority.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

The traditional way of life is based on agriculture and cattle. The Rwandans settle in the fertile areas, but they do not form villages, each family being surrounded by its own fields. The majority of the population belong to the Hutu tribe. There is a significant Tutsi minority (15%) and a smaller minority of Twa, a mixed race of traditional potters and hunters and said to be the country’s first inhabitants. Normal social courtesies apply.