Background: in a number of waves since October 1993, hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the ethnic violence between the Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi and crossed into Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zaire (now called Democratic Republic of the Congo; since October 1996, an estimated 92,000 Hutu refuguees have been forced to return to Burundi by Tutsi rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaving an estimated 35,000 still dispersed there; in Burundi, the ethnic violence between the Hutus and the Tutsis continued in 1996, causing an additional 150,000 Hutus to flee to Tanzania, thus raising their numbers in that country to about 250,000

Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 27,830 km²
Land: 25,650 km²
Water: 2,180 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 974 km
Border countries: (3) Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km; , Rwanda 290 km; , Tanzania 451 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,760 m; 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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Heha 2,760 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 44%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 36%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 140 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding, landslides

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

Population: 5,537,387 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 3.51% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Burundian(s)
Adjective: Burundi

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

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

Religions: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 32%, Muslim 1%

Age structure
0-14 years: 47% (male 1,313,112; female 1,309,600)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,331,336; female 1,417,228)
65 years and over: 3% (male 69,718; female 96,393) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.51% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 41.61 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 17.38 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 10.84 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 101.19 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 45.56 years
Male: 43.79 years
Female: 47.38 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 35.3%
Male: 49.3%
Female: 22.5% (1995 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
Conventional short form: Burundi
Local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
Local short form: Burundi

Government type: republic

Capital: Bujumbura

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

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

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Constitution: 13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a plural political system

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

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Pierre BUYOYA (interim president since 27 September 1996); note_former President NTIBANTUNGANYA was overthrown in a coup on 25 July 1996 and took refuge for 11 months in the US ambassador's residence in Bujumbura; former Major (retired) Pierre BUYOYA has not been recognized as president of Burundi by the US or most other governments: ead of
Government: Prime Minister Pascal-Firmin NDIMIRA (since 31 July 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by prime minister
Elections: NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (81 seats; members are popularly elected on a proportional basis to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 29 June 1993 (scheduled to be held in 1998, although no date has been set)
Election results: percent of vote by party_FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16; other parties won too small shares of the vote to win seats in the assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henri SIMBAKWTRA
In the us chancery: Suite 212, 2,233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-2,574
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Morris N. HUGHES, Jr. (27 June l996)
From the us embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
From the us mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
From the us telephone: [257] (2) 223,454
From the us fax: [257] (2) 222,926

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)

Economy overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development. The economy is predominately 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. As part of its economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with IMF and World Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its agricultural exports, attract foreign investment in industry, and modernize government budgetary practices. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 100,000 persons and the displacement of a million others. Foods, medicines, and electricity remain in short supply. An impoverished and disorganized government can hardly implement the needed reform programs.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.4% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $660 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 56%
Industry: 18%
Services: 26% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca; meat, 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
Total: 1.9 million
By occupation agriculture: 93.0%
By occupation government: 4.0%
By occupation industry and commerce: 1.5%
By occupation services: 1.5% (1983est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $222 million
Expenditures: $258 million, including capital expenditures of $92 million (1995 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$40 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides
Partners: EU 60%, US 7%, Asia 1%

Imports: total value:$127 million (c.i.f., 1996)
Commodoties: capital goods 26%, petroleum products, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Partners: EU 47%, Asia 25%, US 6%

Debt external: $1.1 billion (1995 est.)

Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1_412.59 (January 1998), 352.35 (1997), 302.75 (1996), 249.76 (1995), 252.66 (1994), 242.78 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 43,000 kW (1995)
Production: 158 million kWh (1995)
Production note: imports some electricity from Democratic Republic of the Congo
Consumption per capita: 32 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 7,200 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: primitive system
Domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $25 million (1993)
Percent of gdp: 2.6% (1993)

Airports: 4 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: Lake Tanganyika

Disputes international: none