Eastern Africa > Burundi > People, Geography and History

This information is current as of Tuesday, January 6, 2009 - 11:00:12 BURUNDI April 22, 2008 This Travel Warning updates American citizens on security conditions in Burundi. American citizens should exercise caution while traveling in the country. The U.S. Embassy restricts the travel of its personnel in Burundi, and certain areas of the capital, Bujumbura, are off-limits. This supersedes the Travel Warning for Burundi dated December 10, 2007. The Department of State continues to caution U.S. citizens traveling to Burundi. Burundi ... Read this Article

Global Cost of Living Rank

Location: Other
Rank: 721 of 1082 monitored. Click for Detail

CIA Background Information

Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.

U.S. State Department Description

Country Description: One of the poorest countries in the world, Burundi is a small, densely populated central African nation bordering Lake Tanganyika, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. After more than 12 years of civil and ethnic strife, an electoral process deemed free and fair resulted in the installation of a democratic government in 2005. Years of fighting have devastated a historically fragile economy that depends largely on subsistence agriculture. Poor public health and education, weather disasters such as drought and floods, crop diseases and lack of infrastructure exacerbate the effects of conflict and ... Read this Article

About the People

People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burundian(s). Population (July 2007 est.): 8,390,505. Annual growth rate (2007 est.): 3.593%. Ethnic groups (estimated): Hutu 85%; Tutsi 14%; Twa 1.0%. Religions (estimated): Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%. Languages: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area), English. Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--84.05% male, 62.8% female. Literacy--51.6% ... Read this Article

Statistics at a Glance

Location: Burundi is Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo See Map

Capital: name: Bujumbura
geographic coordinates: 3 22 S, 29 21 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Currency (Code): Burundi franc (BIF) ...More

Area: total: 27,830 sq km , land: 25,650 sq km , water: 2,180 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)

Area Comparison: slightly smaller than Maryland

Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m , highest point: Heha 2,670 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)

Population: 8,691,005
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Unemployment: NA%

Ethnic Groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Religion: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Languages: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

More Statistics

History

History In the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical political authority and tributary economic exchange. A king (mwani) headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) that owned most of the land and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders. In the mid-18th century, this ... Read this Article

Geographic Info for Burundi :

Geography Location: Central Africa. Bordering nations--Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda. Area: 27,830 sq. km. (10,747 sq. mi.); about the size of Maryland. Cities: Capital--Bujumbura (pop. 300,000). Other cities--Cibitoke, Muyinga, Ngozi, Bubanza, Gitega, Bururi. Climate: Equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature ... Read this Article

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