Burundi
Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi
republic
Burundi as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Between 1993 and 2000, wide-spread, often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi created hundreds of thousands of refugees and left tens of thousands dead. Although some refugees have returned from neighboring countries, continued ethnic strife has forced many others to flee. Burundian troops, seeking to secure their borders, have intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Geography
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
18 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 974 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 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 (not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower
Land use
arable land: 44% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 36% forests and woodland: 3% other: 8% (1993 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
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
- 6,223,897 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 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 46.82% (male 1,472,618; female 1,441,548) 15-64 years: 50.37% (male 1,541,131; female 1,593,743) 65 years and over: 2.81% (male 71,984; female 102,873) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 46.06 years male: 45.15 years female: 46.99 years (2001 est.)
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)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35.3% male: 49.3% female: 22.5% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 121 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi
Administrative divisions
16 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Pierre BUYOYA (interim president since 27 September 1996, officially sworn in 11 June 1998), First Vice President Frederic BAMVUGINYUMVIRA (since NA June 1998), Second Vice President Mathias SINAMENYE (since NA June 1998);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Pierre BUYOYA (interim president since 27 September 1996, officially sworn in 11 June 1998), First Vice President Frederic BAMVUGINYUMVIRA (since NA June 1998), Second Vice President Mathias SINAMENYE (since NA June 1998);
- note - the president is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: NA;
- current president assumed power following a coup on 25 July 1996 in which former President NTIBANTUNGANYA was overthrown
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) elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but suspended by presidential decree in 1996) election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16, various other parties 40
Judicial branch
- 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)
Political parties and leaders
- Two national, mainstream governing parties are:
- Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Luc RUKINGAMA, 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 NZENZIMANA];
- Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA];
- People's Reconciliation Party or PRP [Mathias HITIMANA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Loosely organized Tutsi militias, often affiliated with Tutsi extremist parties
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 in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas NDIKUMANA chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454
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
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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. 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. Only one in four children go to school, and one in nine adults has HIV/AIDS. Foods, medicines, and electricity remain in short supply.
Budget
revenues: $125 million expenditures: $176 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries
- light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap;
- assembly of imported components;
- public works construction;
- food processing
Agriculture - products
coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides
Exchange rates
Burundi francs per US dollar - 782.36 (January 2001), 720.67 (2000), 563.56 (1999), 477.77 (1998), 352.35 (1997), 302.75 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: primitive system domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsMilitary
Army (includes naval and air units), paramilitary Gendarmerie
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Burundi.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/burundi/2001.