Introduction


It is important to note that, fourteen years after the genocide, Rwanda is a very different country from what it was for most of its post-independence history. Foreign investors speak of it as one of the safest places in Africa, as well as one of the least corrupt, and it is not only their opinion. It is a fact that has been achieved through immense efforts by the Government and the people of Rwanda. Key programs covering Unity and Reconciliation, Decentralization, the Gacaca court system to dispose Genocide cases and other Community/local Government activities have collectively contributed to the peaceful and secure Rwanda of Today! Also, Rwanda has a development-oriented Government committed to the transformation of the economy into a regional hub for services and industry. The development Roadmap Vision 2020 specifies development targets for the country. Clean, committed and peaceful, Rwanda is now an investment location well worth considering.

Geography


Rwanda is a hilly, landlocked and densely populated country with serious problems related to land scarcity.

Geographically, Rwanda is situated east of Central Africa between 1004’ and 2051’ latitude south and between 28053’ and 30053’ longitude east. The shortest distance to the ocean is 1,200 km long. Socio-demographic Data

Rwanda has an area of 26,338 km2. It has a population of 8,128,553 million (MINECOFIN, Nov. 2003) with a natural growth rate of 3.1% (UNDP, Dec. 1997).

Rwanda is a very hilly country, with steep slopes ravaged by massive and devastating soil erosion which is exacerbated by overstripping of land, deforestation, and inadequate use of land improvement techniques. The relief of the country can be divided into three distinct types stretching from west to east. To the west is the Congo-Nile watershed that rises over Lake Kivu. To the north is a chain of volcanoes, and to the east are the lowlands. The central part of the country has an altitude of between 1,500 m and 2,000 m, with stretched hills and more or less rounded hilltops separated by large valleys. This type of relief covers almost half of the country and has earned Rwanda the nickname of the “Land of a Thousand Hills”.

Climate


With more or less constant temperatures throughout the year (16 - 170C in the high altitudes, 180C - 210C in the central plateau and 200C - 240C in the eastern and western lowlands), Rwanda has an equatorial-continental temperate type of climate classified as AW3, according to the Köppen classification. The country has four seasons which are determined by the variability of rainfall. However, the rainfall is quite irregular and gives rise to prolonged drought periods, especially in the regions of Bugesera, Mayaga and Umutara, causing serious setbacks to agricultural activities that are totally dependent on rainfall.

Economic and socio-cultural data


Rwanda’s economy is based mainly on Agriculture. In fact, this sector occupies 91.1% of the active population and produces 43.5% of GDP and 80% of the country’s exports, principally from coffee and tea (MINAGRI, 1998). Land resource is, therefore, the most important factor of production and survival for the nation and the entire population, and it will remain the backbone of the national economy for a long time to come.

However, due to its scarcity, land as a natural resource does not offer many alternatives in terms of increased arable land. In fact, agricultural land is estimated at around 1,380,000 ha, which is about 52% of the country’s surface area. Together with the reclaimed part of the Akagera National Park, i.e. a surface area of 194,000 ha, and the entire Umutara Game Reserve, around 15,000 ha, for agriculture, livestock and forestry, the total surface area of arable land comes to 1,589,000 ha, or 60% of the national territory.

Marshland area is estimated at around 165.000 ha. Half of this area is suitable for crops, while the other half needs to be protected in order to regulate the water cycle, the eco-climatic balance, and for the conservation of biodiversity.

From the socio-cultural point of view, Rwandans are very much attached to the land which is the strong foundation of Rwandan social and cultural traditions. As a result, there is a growing competition for access to land due to the combined effects of land scarcity, population growth, the high number of landless people, the livestock crisis, and the increasing hold of the urban elite over rural land.