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Countries |
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Guide to DXing |
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Real Radio |
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Background:
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Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in
October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread
ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000
Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen
years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced
or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally
brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated
government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a
transition process that led to an integrated defense force,
established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu
government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre
NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the
country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many
challenges.
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Location:
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Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Geographic coordinates:
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3 30 S, 30 00 E
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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
land: 25,650 sq km
water: 2,180 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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Maritime claims:
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none (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; two wet seasons
(February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons
(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: Heha 2,670 m
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Natural resources:
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nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper,
platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum,
gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
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Land use:
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arable land: 35.57%
permanent crops: 13.12%
other: 51.31% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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210 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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3.6 cu km (1987)
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.29 cu km/yr (17%/6%/77%)
per capita: 38 cu m/yr (2000)
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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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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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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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8,691,005
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, higher death
rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2008 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,021,320/female 1,998,502)
15-64 years: 51.2% (male 2,210,157/female 2,240,921)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 87,600/female 132,505)
(2008 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 16.7 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 17 years (2008 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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3.443% (2008 est.)
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Birth rate:
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41.72 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Death rate:
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12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 60.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 67.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 51.71 years
male: 50.86 years
female: 52.6 years (2008 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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6.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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6% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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250,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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25,000 (2003 est.)
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
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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: 59.3%
male: 67.3%
female: 52.2% (2000 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u
Burundi
local short form: Burundi
former: Urundi
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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name: Bujumbura
geographic coordinates: 3 22 S, 29 21 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions:
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17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale,
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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28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum
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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 Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26
August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi
(since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel
NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26
August 2005); First Vice President Yves SAVINGUVU - Tutsi
(since 9 November 2007); Second Vice President Gabriel
NTISEZERANA - Hutu (since 9 February 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the
constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the
post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds
majority of the parliament; vice presidents nominated by the
president, endorsed by parliament
election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president
by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the
constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the
post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds
majority of the legislature
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National
Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats, 60% Hutu and
40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats
appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to
ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34
members elected by indirect vote to serve five-year terms, with
remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of
state)
elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005
(next to be held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next
to be held in 2010)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by
party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%,
MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD
59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate
- percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30,
FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1
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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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governing parties: Burundi Democratic Front or
FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA]; National Council for the
Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy or
CNDD-FDD [Jeremie NGENDAKUMANA]; Unity for National Progress
or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA]
note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998,
included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy
or CNDD [Leonard NYANGOMA]; National Resistance Movement for
the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero
[Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or
PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] 223454
FAX: [257] 222926
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Flag description:
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divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and
bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly 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)
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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 more than 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. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade
resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000
refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally.
Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 15
adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short
supply. Burundi's GDP grew around 5% annually in 2006-07. Political
stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and
economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high
poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low
administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms.
Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from
bilateral and multilateral donors; the delay of funds after a
corruption scandal cut off bilateral aid in 2007 reduced
government's revenues and its ability to pay salaries.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$6.389 billion (2007 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$989 million (2007 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.5% (2007 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$800 (2007 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 44.9%
industry: 20.9%
services: 34.1% (2006 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%
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Population below poverty line:
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68% (2002 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
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lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 32.8% (1998)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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42.4 (1998)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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7% (2007 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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25.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $259.4 million
expenditures: $331.8 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2007 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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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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7.5% (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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137 million kWh (2005)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 0.6%
hydro: 99.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption:
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161.4 million kWh (2005)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Electricity - imports:
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34 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (2005)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - consumption:
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2,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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0 bbl/day (2004)
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Oil - imports:
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2,687 bbl/day (2004)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Current account balance:
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-$137.3 million (2007 est.)
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Exports:
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$74.17 million f.o.b. (2007 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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Switzerland 33.7%, UK 12.2%, Pakistan 8.5%, Rwanda 5.3%, Egypt
4.2% (2006)
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Imports:
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$340.2 million f.o.b. (2007 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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Saudi Arabia 12.6%, Kenya 8.2%, Japan 7.8%, Russia 4.7%, UK
4.6%, France 4.4%, China 4.4% (2006)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$365 million (2005)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$117.7 million (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$1.2 billion (2003)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA
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Currency (code):
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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 - 1,065 (2007), 1,030 (2006), 1,138
(2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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31,100 (2005)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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153,000 (2005)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: primitive system; telephone
density one of the lowest in the world; fixed-line
connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular usage is increasing but remains at a meager
2 per 100 persons
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) (2007)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
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Radios:
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440,000 (2001)
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2001)
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Televisions:
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25,000 (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.bi
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Internet hosts:
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163 (2007)
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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60,000 (2006)
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Airports:
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8 (2007)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
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Heliports:
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1 (2007)
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Roadways:
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total: 12,322 km
paved: 1,286 km
unpaved: 11,036 km (2004)
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Waterways:
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mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2005)
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Ports and terminals:
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Bujumbura
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Military branches:
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National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army
(includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing) (2008)
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Military service age and obligation:
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16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
children as young as 10 years of age have been conscripted into
the armed forces; the enrollment of children is still not
prohibited (2007)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 1,878,544
females age 16-49: 1,851,676 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 1,083,899
females age 16-49: 1,062,488 (2008 est.)
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Manpower reaching military service age
annually:
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males age 16-49: 98,105
females age 16-49: 98,533 (2008 est.)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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5.9% (2006 est.)
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Transnational Issues |
Burundi |
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Disputes - international:
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conflicts among Tutsi, Hutu, other ethnic groups, associated
political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces have
abated somewhat in the Great Lakes region; UN Operation in Burundi
(ONUB) completed its mandate in December 2006 after a three-year
peace-keeping mission
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of origin): 20,359 (Democratic
Republic of the Congo)
IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and
rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2006)
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This page was last updated on 1 May,
2008
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MW Guide:
Introduction
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