Map of Burundi | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Between 1993 and 1999 ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi created hundreds of thousands of refugees and left at least 250,000 dead. Although many refugees have returned from neighboring countries continued ethnic strife has forced others to flee. Burundian troops seeking to secure their borders have intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


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Location: Central Africa east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1700 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

Terrain: hilly and mountainous dropping to a plateau in east some plains

Elevation

Natural resources: nickel uranium rare earth oxides peat cobalt copper platinum (not yet exploited) vanadium arable land: hydropower

Land use

Irrigated land: 140 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding landslides

Geography
Note: landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed


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Population: 6,054,714
Growth rate: 3.15% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 36.2% (1990 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85% Tutsi (Hamitic) 14% Twa (Pygmy) 1% Europeans 3,000 South Asians 2000

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.15% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 40.46 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 16.44 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 7.43 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 71.5 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 6.25 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Bujumbura

Administrative divisions: 15 provinces; Bubanza Bujumbura Bururi Cankuzo Cibitoke Gitega Karuzi Kayanza Kirundo Makamba Muramvya Muyinga Ngozi Rutana Ruyigi

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 July (1962)

Constitution: 13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two vice presidents

Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (121 seats; note - new Transitional Constitution expanded the number of seats from 81 to 121 in 1998; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Luc RUKINGAMA president]; Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Jean MINANI president]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB CCC CEEAC CEPGL ECA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat (nonsignatory user) Interpol IOC ITU NAM OAU OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above two stars below)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Burundi is a landlocked resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantely agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports therefore rests largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 250,000 persons and the displacement of about 800,000 others. Foods medicines and electricity remain in short supply.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -1% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $730 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee cotton tea corn sorghum sweet potatoes bananas manioc (tapioca); beef milk hides

Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets shoes soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 1.9 million
By occupation agriculture: 93%
By occupation government: 4%
By occupation industry and commerce: 1.5%
By occupation services: 1.5% (1983 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 36.2% (1990 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 26% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $56 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: coffee tea sugar cotton hides
Partners: UK Germany Benelux Switzerland (1998)

Imports: $108 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: capital goods petroleum products foodstuffs
Partners: Benelux France Zambia Germany Kenya Japan (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.247 billion (1997 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 626.79 (January 2000) 563.56 (1999) 477.77 (1998) 352.35 (1997) 302.75 (1996) 249.76 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 127 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 153 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 35 million kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 17,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 343 (1995)

Telephone system: primitive system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $25 million (FY93)
Percent of gdp: 2.6% (FY93)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: Lake Tanganyika

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs