BURUNDI
ABOUT BURUNDI
Burundi is a landlocked country whose capital
Bujumbura lies by the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Often called “the heart of Africa,” Burundi covers an
area of 27,834 square kilometers and lies between
2º30’ and 4º30’ latitude South and between 28º50’
and 30º53’30’ longitude East. Bounded to the North
by Rwanda, to the West by Democratic Republic
of Congo, and to the East and South by Tanzania,
Burundi is part of East African Community.
GOVERNMENT
Form of Government is Republic
Head of State is the President
Voting qualification universal is 18 yrs of age
Highest Court is the Supreme Court
Independence: July 1, 1962 (from Belgium).
Constitution: A transitional constitution was
adopted October 18, 2001. The parliament adopted a
post-transition constitution on September 17, 2004,
which was approved in a nationwide referendum held
February 28, 2005.
ECONOMY
Currency: used in Burundi are the Francs.
Natural resources: Nickel, uranium, rare earth
oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium,
arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin,
tungsten, kaolin, limestone.
Primary sector Coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum,
sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca), beef,
milk, hides. Arable land (2009 est.)--35.57%.
Secondary sector (2009 est.; 19% of GDP): Types-beverage production, coffee and tea processing,
cigarette production, sugar refining, pharmaceuticals,
light food processing, chemicals (insecticides), public
works construction, consumer goods, assembly of
imported components, light consumer goods such as
blankets, shoes, soap.
CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY
Burundi has four topographical zones:
The Rusizi plain, where the climate is tropical
The Congo-Nile Ridge, where the climate is mild and
temperate; this area includes the great secondary
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forest of Kibira
The central plateau, featuring rolling hills
The depressions of the East and North-East, featuring
tree-dotted savanna
Burundi has a “moderate” tropical climate with
average temperatures between 23 and 24ºC. This
is a gift from nature to have such an average near
the Equatorial area known for its heat and humidity.
In Bujumbura city where it is hotter, average
temperatures are about 25ºC.
Burundi has two seasons namely the dry season
from June to September and the rainy season from
February to May. The remaining time is made up of
middle seasons- half-dry and half-rainy-with a short
rainy season between September and December and
a short dry season between January and February.
The vegetation is lush and agriculture is one of the
most important activities.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Burundi is divided into 16 provinces including
Bujumbura City and 116 communes. Each province is
administrated by a Governor and each commune by
an Administrator. It should be noted that Bujumbura
City is administrated by a Mayor.
POPULATION
The population of Burundi is currently estimated
at around 8.1 million making it one of the countries
with the highest population density in Africa. The
population is however spread very unevenly: the
central plateau and the highlands are the most
heavily populated.
LANGUAGE
The cultural and linguistic uniformity of the country
is one of the most striking features. Kirundi is the
medium of expression of Burundi’s centuries-old
cultural heritage. French is the first foreign language,
which became an administrative language. English
is progressively getting important because of the
opening of the country to the business world and the
international market. Swahili, a trade language above
all, is spoken in the cities and along Tanganyika Lake.
POETRY AND POPULAR SONGS
The culture of Burundi is based mainly on song,
poetry, the dance, stories and legends. Poetry is