Burundi

republic

Burundi as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBujumbura
Area27,830 km2
1990

Every edition of Burundi

Populationas each edition published it
5.65 million July 1990 · 13.59m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 2.34% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 16.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 40.75 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
7 children per woman 1990 · 4.94 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
111 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 35.3 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $205 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 5% in 1993

Geography

11 fields
Total area
27,830km2
land area: 25,650 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries
974km total
Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km

Coastline

none--landlocked

Climate

  • temperate;
  • warm;
  • occasional frost in uplands

Terrain

mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains

Natural resources

nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium

Land use

  • 43% arable land;
  • 8% permanent crops;
  • 35% meadows and pastures;
  • 2% forest and woodland;
  • 12% other;
  • includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment

  • soil exhaustion;
  • soil erosion;
  • deforestation

Note

landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed

People

14 fields
Population
5,645,997
(July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
47Death
15Net migration
0
Labor force
1,900,000
(1983 est.); 93.0% agriculture, 4.0% government, 1.5% industry and commerce, 1.5% services; 52% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

111 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

50 years male, 54 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

7.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Burundian(s); adjective--Burundi

Ethnic divisions

  • Africans--85% Hutu (Bantu), 14% Tutsi (Hamitic), 1% Twa (Pygmy);
  • other Africans include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and Zairians;
  • non-Africans include about 3,000 Europeans and 2,000 South Asians

Religion

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

Language

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

Organized labor

  • sole group is the Union of Burundi Workers (UTB);
  • by charter, membership is extended to all Burundi workers (informally);
  • figures denoting active membership unobtainable

Government

Republic

17 fields

Long-form name

Republic of Burundi

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)

Constitution

20 November 1981; suspended following the coup of 3 September 1987

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Executive branch

president, Military Committee for National Salvation, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dissolved following the coup of 3 September 1987

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State--President Pierre BUYOYA (since 9 September 1987);
  • Head of Government Prime Minister Adrien SIBOMANA (since 26 October 1988)

Political parties and leaders

only party--National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA), a Tutsi-led party, Libere Bararunyeretse, coordinator of the National Permanent Secretariat

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA National Assembly--dissolved after the coup of 3 September 1987; no elections are planned

Communists

no Communist party

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Julien KAVAKURE;
  • Chancery at Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007;
  • telephone (202) 342-2574;
  • US--Ambassador Cynthia Shepherd PERRY;
  • Embassy at Avenue du Zaire, Bujumbura (mailing address is B. P. 1720, Bujumbura);
  • telephone 234-54 through 56

Flag

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

A landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development, Burundi is predominately agricultural with only a few basic industries.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.3billion
per capita $255; real growth rate 2.8% (1988)
External debt
$795million
(December 1989 est.)

Imports $204 million (c.i.f., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

capital goods
31%petroleum products
15%
also foodstuffs, consumer goods; partners--EC 57%, Asia 23%, US 3%

Budget

Revenues
$213 millionExpenditures
$292 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $131 million (1988 est.)

Overview

A landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development, Burundi is predominately agricultural with only a few basic industries. Its economic health is dependent on the coffee crop, which accounts for an average 90% of foreign exchange earnings each year. The ability to pay for imports therefore continues to rest largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market.

Exports

  • $128 million (f.o.b., 1988);
  • commodities--coffee 88%, tea, hides and skins;
  • partners--EC 83%, US 5%, Asia 2%

Industrial production

real growth rate 5.1% (1986)

Electricity

51,000 kW capacity; 105 million kWh produced, 19 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

  • light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap;
  • assembly of imports;
  • public works construction;
  • food processing

Agriculture

  • accounts for 60% of GDP;
  • 90% of population dependent on subsistence farming;
  • marginally self-sufficient in food production;
  • cash crops--coffee, cotton, tea;
  • food crops--corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc;
  • livestock--meat, milk, hides, and skins

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $68 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $10 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $32 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-88), $175 million

Currency

Burundi franc (plural--francs); 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1--176.20 (January 1990), 158.67 (1989), 140.40 (1988), 123.56 (1987), 114.17 (1986), 120.69 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Airports, 8 total, 7 usable

permanent-surface runways
1runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
1runways 1,220 to 2,439 m
none

Highways

5,900 km total; 400 km paved, 2,500 km gravel or laterite, 3,000 km improved or unimproved earth

Inland waterways

Lake Tanganyika

Ports

Bujumbura (lake port) connects to transportation systems of Tanzania and Zaire

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • sparse system of wire, radiocommunications, and low-capacity radio relay links;
  • 8,000 telephones;
  • stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV;
  • 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army (includes naval and air units); paramilitary Gendarmerie

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
1,230,559fit for military service
642,927reach military age (16) annually
61,418
Defense expenditures
3.1%of GDP
(1987)

Branches

Army (includes naval and air units); paramilitary Gendarmerie

Central Intelligence Agency. “Burundi.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/burundi/1990.

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