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Rwanda experienced Africa's worst genocide in modern times, and the country's recovery was marred by its intervention in the conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Full name: Republic of Rwanda
• Population: 10.2 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Kigali
• Area: 26,338 sq km (10,169 sq miles)
• Major languages: Kinyarwanda (official), French (official), English (official), Swahili
• Major religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs
• Life expectancy: 50 years (men), 54 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Rwandan franc = 100 centimes
• Main exports: Coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
• GNI per capita: US $460 (World Bank, 2009)
• Internet domain: .rw
• International dialling code: +250
The country has been beset by ethnic tension associated with the traditionally unequal relationship between the dominant Tutsi minority and the majority Hutus.
Although after 1959 the ethnic relationship was reversed, when civil war prompted around 200,000 Tutsis to flee to Burundi, lingering resentment led to periodic massacres of Tutsis.
The most notorious of these began in April 1994. The shooting down of the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana, and his Burundian counterpart, near Kigali triggered what appeared to be a coordinated attempt by Hutus to eliminate the Tutsi population.
BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14093238)
Provides an overview of Rwanda, including key events and facts about this East African country that is still recovering from the genocide of 1994.
Attribution: CNN, BBC and IOL Africa.