evels in the late 1980s;
although Russia may still spend as much as 10% of its GDP on defense,
this is significantly below the 15% to 17% burden the former USSR
carried during much of the 1980s; conversion of military expenditures
into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce
misleading results

________________________________________________________________________

RWANDA

@Rwanda:Geography

Location: Central Africa, east of Zaire

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 26,340 sq km
land area: 24,950 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries: total 893 km, Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda
169 km, Zaire 217 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

International disputes: none

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

Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten
ore), natural gas, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 11%
meadows and pastures: 18%
forest and woodland: 10%
other: 32%

Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of
trees for fuel; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion
natural hazards: periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are
in the northwest along the border with Zaire
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test
Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of
the Sea

Note: landlocked; predominantly rural population

@Rwanda:People

Population: 8,605,307 (July 1995 est.)
note: the demographic estimates were prepared before civil strife,
starting in April 1994, set in motion substantial and continuing
population changes

Age structure:
0-14 years: 51% (female 2,184,549; male 2,201,049)
15-64 years: 47% (female 2,034,278; male 1,968,298)
65 years and over: 2% (female 126,255; male 90,878) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.67% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 48.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 21.82 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
note: since April 1994, more than one million re