Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, with a population of approximately 8.6 million. It is bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. It is best known to the outside world for the 1994 Rwandan genocide that resulted in the deaths of up to one million people. Before this, it was known mostly as the habitat of mountain gorillas.  

According to the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS), of the roughly 250,000  persons infected with HIV/AIDS, 22,000 are children under the age of 16. Rwanda is one of the world's least developed countries.  Some 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. During the three months of genocide in 1994, mass rape, sexual torture and psychological trauma were common. Massive population flows following the genocide resulted in new urban and rural settlement patterns and uncertainty regarding HIV prevalence rates. Social stigma associated with HIV is widespread and  remains a disincentive to HIV testing and disclosure.

Full country name: Republic of Rwanda 
Capital: Kigali 
Area: total: total: 26,338 sq km 
Population: 8,648,248 
People living with HIV/AIDS: 250,000 (2003 est.) 
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk - VERY HIGH
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever 
vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)
Language:Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers 
Religion:Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7%
Government:republic; presidential, multiparty system 
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible 
Major Industries: cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes 
Imports partners:Kenya 24.4%, Germany 7.4%, Belgium 6.6%, Uganda 6.3%, France 5.1% 
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa