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Background:
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 Burundi's
first democratically elected president was assassinated in
October 1993 after only four months 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, intervened in the conflict in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998. More recently,
many of these troops have been redeployed back to Burundi to
deal with periodic upsurges in rebel activity. A new
transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, was
to be the first step toward holding national elections in
three years. While the Government of Burundi signed a
cease-fire agreement in December 2002 with three of Burundi's
four Hutu rebel groups, implementation of the agreement has
been problematic and one rebel group refuses to sign on,
clouding prospects for a sustainable peace. |
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Location:
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Central
Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
27,830 sq km
water: 2,180 sq km
land: 25,650 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Maryland |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
974 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233
km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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hilly
and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Mount Heha 2,670 m |
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Natural resources:
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nickel,
uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum
(not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 29.98%
permanent crops: 12.85%
other: 57.17% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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740
sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding,
landslides, drought |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked;
straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which
drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of
the White Nile |
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Population:
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6,231,221
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 and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
46.4% (male 1,459,251; female 1,430,332)
15-64 years: 50.9% (male 1,566,274; female 1,607,705)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 66,306; female 101,353)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
16.5 years
male: 16.1 years
female: 16.8 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.2% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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39.68
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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17.61
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.06 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
70.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 77.15 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 43.36 years
male: 42.73 years
female: 44 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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8.3% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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390,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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40,000 (2001
est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Hutu (Bantu) 85%,
Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South
Asians 2,000 |
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Religions:
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Christian 67%
(Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%,
Muslim 10% |
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Languages:
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Kirundi
(official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika
and in the Bujumbura area) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.6%
male: 58.5%
female: 45.2% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local short form: Burundi
local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
former: Urundi |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Bujumbura |
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Administrative divisions:
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16 provinces;
Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi,
Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi,
Rutana, Ruyigi |
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Independence:
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1 July 1962 (from
UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
1 July (1962) |
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Constitution:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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based on German
and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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NA years of age;
universal adult |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003);
note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the
second half of the three-year transitional government
inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President Alphonse KADEGE
(since 30 April 2003); note - KADEGE is from the Tutsi
minority
head of government: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since
30 April 2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as
president for the second half of the three-year transitional
government inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President
Alphonse KADEGE (since 30 April 2003); note - KADEGE is from
the Tutsi minority
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: NA; current president assumed power on 30
April 2003 as part of the transitional government established
by the 2000 Arusha Accord |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral,
consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
(expanded from 121 to approximately 140 seats under the
transitional government inaugurated 1 November 2001; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a
Senate (54 seats; term length is undefined, the current
senators will likely serve out the three-year transition
period)
elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled
to be held in 1998, but was suspended by presidential decree
in 1996; elections are planned to follow the completion of the
three-year transitional government)
election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU
71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU
65, UPRONA 16, civilians 27, other parties 13 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal (there
are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First Instance
(17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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the two national,
mainstream, governing parties are: Unity for National Progress
or UPRONA [Alphonse KADEGE, president]; Burundi Democratic
Front or FRODEBU [Jean MINANI, president]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998,
included are: Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation or
ABASA [Terrence NSANZE]; Rally for Democracy and Economic and
Social Development or RADDES [Joseph NZEYIMANA]; Party for
National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]; People's
Reconciliation Party or PRP [Mathias HITIMANA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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loosely organized
Hutu and Tutsi militias, often affiliated with Hutu and Tutsi
extremist parties or subordinate to government security forces |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Antoine NTAMOBWA
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador James Howard YELLIN
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] 223454
FAX: [257] 222926 |
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Economy - overview:
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Burundi is a
landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped
manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly
agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on
subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and
tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange
earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests
primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and
tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population,
dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense
of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. Since October
1993 an ethnic-based war has resulted in more than 200,000
deaths, forced 800,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced
525,000 others internally. Doubts about the prospects for
sustainable peace continue to impede development. Only one in
two children go to school, and approximately one in ten adults
has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
supply. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $3.83 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $600 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
40.5%
industry: 18.6%
services: 40.9% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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68% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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11% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.99 million
(2002) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
93.6%, industry 2.3%, services 4.1% (2002 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$125 million
expenditures: $176 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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light consumer
goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported
components; public works construction; food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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18% (2001) |
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Electricity - production:
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155.4 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
0.6%
hydro: 99.4%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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2,750 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, cotton,
tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca);
beef, milk, hides |
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Exports:
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$40 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, tea,
sugar, cotton, hides |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany 25%,
Belgium 14.3%, Kenya 10.7%, Netherlands 7.1%, Rwanda 7.1%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$128 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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capital goods,
petroleum products, foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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Belgium 12%,
Saudi Arabia 12%, France 7.5%, Kenya 7.5%, Tanzania 6%,
Algeria 5.3%, India 4.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$1,132.5 million
(2002) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$92.7 million
(2000) |
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Currency:
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Burundi franc (BIF) |
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Currency code:
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BIF |
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Exchange rates:
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Burundi francs
per US dollar - 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001),
720.67 (2000), 563.56 (1999) |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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22,100 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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52,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: primitive system
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone
communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: country code - 257; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM 4,
shortwave 1 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.bi |
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Internet hosts:
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3 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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8,400 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total:
14,480 km
paved: 1,028 km
unpaved: 13,452 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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Lake Tanganyika |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bujumbura |
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Airports:
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8 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army (including
Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie |
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Military manpower - military age:
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16 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,419,755 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 747,400 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
81,862 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$33.3 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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6% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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Tutsi, Hutu, and
other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels,
armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting
in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of
Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda
to gain control over populated and natural resource areas;
government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized
violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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