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Home  >  World  > Africa  > Rwanda General Information Area: 26,338 sq km (10,169 sq miles). Population: 7,235,000 (UN estimate 1999). Population Density: 274.7 per sq km. Capital: Kigali. Population: 233,640 (1991). GEOGRAPHY: 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 3000m (9842ft), 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. Government: Republic since 1962. Gained independence from Belgium in 1962. Head of State: President Paul Kagame since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Bernard Makuza since 2000. Language: The official languages are Kinyarwanda, French and English. Kiswahili is used for trade and commerce. Religion: Animist (50 per cent), Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) and an Islamic minority. Time: GMT + 2. Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone Country code: 250. There are no area codes. There is direct international dialling but this may be subject to occasional disruptions. Mobile telephone GSM 900/1800 network. Network operators include MTN Rwandacell (website: www.mtnrwandacell.co.rw). Handsets can be hired. Internet ISPs include Rwandatel (website: www.rwanda1.com). There are currently a few Internet cafes in Kigali, although the number is increasing steadily. Telegram Facilities are available in Kigali and main hotels. Post In Kigali post offices are open Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1700, Sat 0800-1200. Airmail to Western Europe takes approximately two weeks. Press There are English-language newspapers. Publications are also in French or Kinyarwanda and are fortnightly or quarterly. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 17.89 15.42 9.630 6.005 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.58 11.98 6.035 0.909 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd. Terms and Conditions apply.