| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
3° 30' South Latitude
30° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
27,830 sq km |
| Climate |
Equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees
centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; wet seasons from February to May and September to November,
and dry seasons from June to August and December to January |
| Natural Resources |
Nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Burundi |
| Capital City |
Bujumbura |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
16 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi |
| Independence Day |
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
6,370,609 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Burundian |
| 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) |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.22% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Burundi franc (BIF) |
| Industries |
Light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing |
| Labor Force |
2.99 million (2002) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 93.6%, industry 2.3%, services 4.1% (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides |
| Export Commodities |
Coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides |
| Export Partners |
Switzerland 25.8%, Germany 12.2%, Belgium 7.9%, US 5.5%, Thailand 5.3%, Rwanda 5.2% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
Kenya 11.7%, Tanzania 9.6%, US 9.1%, Belgium 9%, France 8.8%, Italy 5.4%, Japan 4.8%, Uganda 4.8%, Zambia 4.2% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
14,480 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
8 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Bujumbura |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+257 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.bi |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only one hundred days in office. Since then,
some 200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread, often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions.
Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries. Burundi troops,
seeking to secure their borders, briefly intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998.
A new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, signed a power-sharing agreement with the largest rebel
faction in December 2003 and set in place a provisional constitution in October 2004. Implementation of the agreement has been problematic,
however, as one remaining rebel group refuses to sign on and elections have been repeatedly delayed, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace. |
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