Burundi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Republic of Burundi
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 Coat of arms
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Motto:
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Anthem: "Burundi Bwacu" (Kirundi)
"Our Burundi" |
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.svg) Show globe Show map of Africa |
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| Capital | Gitega 3°30′S 30°00′E / 3.500°S 30.000°E |
| Largest city | Bujumbura |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups | |
| Religion
(2020)
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| Demonym(s) | Burundian |
| Government | Unitary dominant-party presidential republic under an authoritarian dictatorship |
| Évariste Ndayishimiye | |
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• Vice President
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Prosper Bazombanza |
| Gervais Ndirakobuca | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate | |
| National Assembly | |
| Establishment history | |
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• Kingdom of Urundi
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1680–1966 |
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• Part of German East Africa
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1890–1916 |
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• Part of Ruanda-Urundi
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1916–1962 |
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• Independence from Belgium
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1 July 1962 |
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• Republic
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28 November 1966 |
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• Current constitution
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17 May 2018 |
| Area | |
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• Total
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27,834 km2 (10,747 sq mi) (142nd) |
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• Water (%)
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10 |
| Population | |
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• 2024 estimate
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14,151,540 (78th) |
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• Density
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473/km2 (1,225.1/sq mi) (17th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
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• Total
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 $11.551 billion (164th) |
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• Per capita
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$890 (193rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
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• Total
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 $3.190 billion (173rd) |
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• Per capita
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$245 (192nd) |
| Gini (2020) | ▼ 37.5 medium |
| HDI (2022) | 0.420 low · 187th |
| Currency | Burundian franc (FBu) (BIF) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | BI |
| Internet TLD | .bi |
Burundi (officially called Republic of Burundi) is a small country in Africa. The capital of Burundi is Bujumbura. The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi and French. There are about eight and a half million people in Burundi. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Contents
Provinces, communes and collines
Burundi is divided into 17 provinces, 117 communes, and 2,638 collines (hills). Provincial governments are based on these boundaries. In 2000, the province encompassing Bujumbura was separated into two provinces, Bujumbura Rural and Bunjumbura Mairie.
The provinces are:
Largest cities
These are the largest cities in Burundi:
| Ranking | Name | Population |
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| 1. | Bujumbura | 340,300 |
| 2. | Gitega | 46,900 |
| 3. | Muyinga | 45,300 |
| 4. | Ngozi | 40,200 |
| 5. | Ruyigi | 36,800 |
| 6. | Kayanza | 26,200 |
| 7. | Bururi | 22,900 |
| 8. | Rutana | 20,700 |
| 9. | Muramvya | 17,600 |
| 10. | Makamba | 13,000 |
Geography
One of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi is landlocked and has an equatorial climate. Burundi is a part of the Albertine Rift, the western extension of the East African Rift. The country lies on a rolling plateau in the centre of Africa. Burundi is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It lies within the Albertine Rift montane forests, Central Zambezian miombo woodlands, and Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic ecoregions.
The average elevation of the central plateau is 1,707 m (5,600 ft), with lower elevations at the borders. The highest peak, Mount Heha at 2,685 m (8,810 ft), lies to the southeast of the largest city and economic capital, Bujumbura. The source of the Nile River is in Bururi province, and is linked from Lake Victoria to its headwaters via the Ruvyironza River. Lake Victoria is also an important water source, which serves as a fork to the Kagera River. Another major lake is Lake Tanganyika, located in much of Burundi's southwestern corner.
In Burundi forest cover is around 11% of the total land area, equivalent to 279,640 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 276,480 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 166,670 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 112,970 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 23% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 41% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership.
There are two national parks: Kibira National Park to the northwest (a small region of rainforest, adjacent to Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda), and Ruvubu National Park to the northeast (along the Rurubu River, also known as Ruvubu or Ruvuvu). Both were established in 1982 to conserve wildlife populations.
Wildlife
The wildlife of Burundi is composed of its flora and fauna. The small, landlocked country is home to 2,950 species of plants, 596 birds, 163 species of mammals, 52 species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibians, and 215 fish species. The wildlife has been drastically reduced in recent years, mainly on account of intense population pressure, conversion of large areas of forest into agricultural land, and extensive livestock farming. The protected area encompasses little more than 5% of the total area of the country.
Flora
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The flora is characterized by East African evergreen bushland and secondary grassland, as well as Afromontane vegetation including transitional rainforests in the western mountain region. Hyphaene–Acacia and Brachystegia trees are noted in the lake shores. The Brachystegia–Julbernardia (miombo) trees are seen in south-eastern border area. The Bugesera region in the north and the Kumoso depression on the east have profuse vegetation of Acacia–Combretum trees, and Brachystegia trees. The vascular flora reported is of 2,950 species under 195 families. In the high altitude in particular many species of wild flora are reported to be endemic; 70 species of plants are reported in this category.
Fauna
There are 163 species of mammals, 52 species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibians and 215 species of fish. It is also reported that at high altitudes, endemicity is distinct in 17 species of mammals and 22 species of birds. Lake Tanganyika has 200 species of fish and an equal number of molluscs. A scientific exploration team of the University of Texas at El Paso found the Bururi long-fingered frog (Cardioglossa cyaneospila) (considered extinct for decades), in December 2011 in the Bururi Forest Nature Reserve, after it was last seen in 1949. Seven important species of fauna reported are Genetta piscivora (aquatic genet), Serinus mozambicus (yellow-fronted canary), Cercopithecus lhoesti (L'hoest's monkey), Agapornis fischeri (Fischer's lovebird), Galago moholi (South African galago), Hyperolius viridiflavus, and Hippopotamus amphibius (hippopotamus).
The species reported under endangered and vulnerable categories (as per the IUCN's 2004 Red List) are the following: chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) (EN), African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) (EN), African golden cat (Profelis aurata) (VU), Carruther's mountain squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) (VU), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) (VU), lion (Panthera leo) (VU), Ruwenzori shrew (Ruwenzorisorex suncoides) (VU), and spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis) (VU).
Mammals
There are four subspecies of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), of which the West African savanna subspecies S. c. caffer found in Burundi number only about 500 now. Sitatunga (Tragelaphus speldi) were once found in many swamps in Burundi, but by the 1980s their numbers had dwindled, and the species' present conservation status is unknown. Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), also called the defassa waterbuck, was found throughout Burundi in the savanna grass land, then became restricted to the Ruvibu National Park. Only were reported in the 1980s and its present status is unknown. Lichtenstein's hartebeest (Alcelaphus Lichtensteinii) occurred in the southeast. Korrigum (also tsessebe, topi or tiang), Damaliscus lunatus, which were found in the eastern flood plains and savanna grasslands, is now extirpated. Impala (Aepyeros melampus), which once inhabited the eastern savannas, is also extirpated. Oribi (Ourebia ourebi), which occurred in the eastern and southern savanna and flood plains, is probably extirpated. Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), found in rocky outcrops in the south and east, is now extirpated. Grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) is found in large numbers in spite of extensive hunting in the eastern and southern savannas. It is found in Ruvubu National Park.
Birds
Reported avifauna include 596 species (439 resident and 109 seasonal migrants) of which 13 species of global conservation concern and three are introduced species; more species have been found but their details are not recorded (thus UNEP reports 716 species). There are no endemic bird species. There are five Important Bird Areas (IBAs) declared by BirdLife International in the country, which cover an area of 1,018 square kilometres (393 sq mi) and which account for 3.7% of the total area of the country. These coalesce with the national parks and two forest (or nature) reserves. According to BirdLife International, there are 13 species of global conservation concern (six of non-breeding migrants, and balance of breeding type from Albertine Rift and papyrus swamps). These include Phoenicopterus minor (NT), Circus macrourus (NT), Falco naumanni (VU), Gallinago media (NT), Glareola nordmanni (NT), Ardeola idea (NT), Lybius rubrifacies (NT), Kupeornis rufocinctus (NT), Laniarius mufumbiri (NT), Balaeniceps rex (NT), Apalis argentea (VU), Bradypterus graueri (VU), Cryptospiza shelleyi (VU), Calamonastides gracilirostris (VU), and Bugeranus carunculatus (VU).
Economy
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural, accounting for 50% of GDP in 2017 and employing more than 90% of the population. Subsistence agriculture accounts for 90% of agriculture. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP. Other agricultural products include cotton, tea, maize, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk and hides. Even though subsistence farming is highly relied upon, many people do not have the resources to sustain themselves. This is due to large population growth and no coherent policies governing land ownership. In 2014, the average farm size was about one acre.
Burundi is the world's poorest country, owing in part to its landlocked geography, lack of access to education and the proliferation of HIV/AIDS. Approximately 80% of Burundi's population lives in poverty. Famines and food shortages have occurred throughout Burundi, most notably in the 20th century, and according to the World Food Programme, 56.8% of children under age five suffer from chronic malnutrition. Burundi's export earnings – and its ability to pay for imports – rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices.
The purchasing power of most Burundians has decreased as wage increases have not kept up with inflation. As a result of deepening poverty, Burundi will remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors. Foreign aid represents 42% of Burundi's national income, the second highest rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Burundi joined the East African Community in 2009, which should boost its regional trade ties, and also in 2009 received $700 million in debt relief. Government corruption is hindering the development of a healthy private sector as companies seek to navigate an environment with ever-changing rules.
Studies since 2007 have shown Burundians to have extremely poor levels of satisfaction with life; the World Happiness Report 2018 rated them the world's least happy.
Some of Burundi's natural resources include uranium, nickel, cobalt, copper and platinum. Besides agriculture, other industries include: the assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing, and light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, and soap.
In regards to telecommunications infrastructure, Burundi is ranked second to last in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) – an indicator for determining the development level of a country's information and communication technologies. Burundi ranked number 147 overall in the 2014 NRI ranking, down from 144 in 2013.
Lack of access to financial services is a serious problem for the majority of the population, particularly in densely populated rural areas: only 2% of the total population holds bank accounts and fewer than 0.5% use bank lending services. Microfinance, however, plays a larger role, with 4% of Burundians being members of microfinance institutions – a larger share of the population than that reached by banking and postal services combined. 26 licensed microfinance institutions (MFIs) offer savings, deposits, and short- to medium-term credit. The dependence of the sector on donor assistance is limited.
Burundi is part of the East African Community and a potential member of the planned East African Federation. Burundi economy has declined since 1990s and Burundi is behind all neighbouring countries.
Burundi was ranked 127th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
Currency
Burundi's currency is the Burundian franc. It is nominally subdivided into 100 centimes, though coins have never been issued in centimes in independent Burundi; centime coins were circulated only when Burundi used the Belgian Congo franc.
Monetary policy is controlled by the central bank, Bank of the Republic of Burundi.
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| From XE.com: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From OANDA: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
| From fxtop.com: | AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD |
Transport
Burundi's transport network is limited and underdeveloped. According to a 2012 DHL Global Connectedness Index, Burundi is the least globalised of 140 surveyed countries. Bujumbura International Airport is the only airport with a paved runway and as of May 2017 it was serviced by four airlines (Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and RwandAir). Kigali is the city with the most daily flight connections to Bujumbura. The country has a road network but as of 2005[update] less than 10% of the country's roads were paved and as of 2012[update] private bus companies were the main operators of buses on the international route to Kigali; however, there were no bus connections to the other neighbouring countries (Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Bujumbura is connected by a passenger and cargo ferry (the MV Mwongozo) to Kigoma in Tanzania. There is a long-term plan to link the country via rail to Kigali and then onward to Kampala and Kenya.
Demographics
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Largest cities or towns in Burundi
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| Rank | Name | Pop. |
| 1 | Bujumbura | 374,809 |
| 2 | Gitega | 135,467 |
| 3 | Ngozi | 39,884 |
| 4 | Rumonge | 35,931 |
| 5 | Cibitoke | 23,885 |
| 6 | Kayanza | 21,767 |
| 7 | Bubanza | 20,031 |
| 8 | Karuzi | 10,705 |
| 9 | Kirundo | 10,024 |
| 10 | Muyinga | 9,609 |
As of October 2021, Burundi was estimated by the United Nations to have a population of 12,346,893, compared to only 2,456,000 in 1950. The population growth rate is 2.5 percent per year, more than double the average global pace, and a Burundian woman has on average 5.10 children, more than double the international fertility rate. Burundi had the tenth highest total fertility rate in the world, just behind Somalia, in 2021.
Many Burundians have migrated to other countries as a result of the civil war. In 2006, the United States accepted approximately 10,000 Burundian refugees.
Burundi remains an overwhelmingly rural society, with just 13% of the population living in urban areas in 2013. The population density of around 315 people per square kilometre (753 per sq mi) is the second highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Roughly 85% of the population are of Hutu ethnic origin, 15% are Tutsi and fewer than 1% are indigenous Twa.
Languages
The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi, French, and English. English was made an official language in 2014. Virtually the entire population speaks Kirundi, and just under 10% speak French.
Religion
Sources estimate the Christian population at 80–90%, with Roman Catholics representing the largest group at 60–65%. Protestant and Anglican practitioners constitute the remaining 15–25%. An estimated 5% of the population adheres to traditional indigenous religious beliefs. Muslims constitute 2–5%, the majority of whom are Sunnis and live in urban areas.
Culture
Burundi's culture is based on local tradition and the influence of neighbouring countries, though cultural prominence has been hindered by civil unrest. Since farming is the main industry, a typical Burundian meal consists of sweet potatoes, corn, rice and peas. Due to the expense, meat is eaten only a few times per month.
When several Burundians of close acquaintance meet for a gathering they drink impeke, a beer, together from a large container to symbolise unity.
Notable Burundians include the footballer Mohamed Tchité and singer Jean-Pierre Nimbona, popularly known as Kidumu (who is based in Nairobi, Kenya).
Crafts are an important art form in Burundi and are attractive gifts to many tourists. Basket weaving is a popular craft for local artisans, as well as other crafts such as masks, shields, statues and pottery.
Drumming is an important part of the cultural heritage. The world-famous Royal Drummers of Burundi, who have performed for over 40 years, are noted for traditional drumming using the karyenda, amashako, ibishikiso and ikiranya drums. Dance often accompanies drumming performance, which is frequently seen in celebrations and family gatherings. The abatimbo, which is performed at official ceremonies and rituals and the fast-paced abanyagasimbo are some famous Burundian dances. Some musical instruments of note are the flute, zither, ikembe, indonongo, umuduri, inanga and the inyagara.
The country's oral tradition is strong, relaying history and life lessons through storytelling, poetry and song. Imigani, indirimbo, amazina and ivyivugo are literary genres in Burundi.
Basketball and track and field are noted sports. Martial arts are popular, as well. There are five major judo clubs: Club Judo de l'Entente Sportive, in Downtown, and four others throughout the city. Association football is a popular pastime throughout the country, as are mancala games.
Most Christian holidays are celebrated, with Christmas being the largest. Burundian Independence Day is celebrated annually on 1 July. In 2005, the Burundian government declared Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic holiday, to be a public holiday.
Education
In 2012, the adult literacy rate in Burundi was estimated to be 74.71% for men and women between the ages of 15 and 24, while the youth literacy rate was much higher at 92.58%. Burundi has a comparatively high literacy rate to other countries in the region, which is only about 10% lower than the global average. Ten percent of Burundian boys are allowed a secondary education.
Burundi has one public university, University of Burundi. There are museums in the cities, such as the Burundi Geological Museum in Bujumbura and the Burundi National Museum and the Burundi Museum of Life in Gitega.
In 2010 a new elementary school was opened in the small village of Rwoga that is funded by the pupils of Westwood High School, Quebec, Canada.
As of 2022, Burundi invested the equivalent of 5% of its GDP in education.
Science and technology
Burundi's Strategic Plan for Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (2013) covers the following areas: food technology; medical sciences; energy, mining and transportation; water; desertification; environmental biotechnology and indigenous knowledge; materials science; engineering and industry; ICTs; space sciences; mathematical sciences; and social and human sciences.
With regard to material sciences, Burundi's publication intensity doubled from 0.6 to 1.2 articles per million inhabitants between 2012 and 2019, placing it in the top 15 for sub-Saharan Africa for this strategic technology.
Medical sciences remain the main focus of research: medical researchers accounted for 4% of the country's scientists in 2018 but 41% of scientific publications between 2011 and 2019.
The focus of the Strategic Plan for Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (2013) has been on developing an institutional framework and infrastructure, fostering greater regional and international co-operation and placing science in society. In October 2014, the EAC Secretariat designated the National Institute of Public Health a centre of excellence. Data are unavailable on output on nutritional sciences, the institute's area of specialization, but between 2011 and 2019, Burundi scientists produced seven articles on each of HIV and tropical communicable diseases and a further five on tuberculosis, all focus areas for the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Strategic Plan has also focused on training researchers. Researcher density (in head counts) grew from 40 to 55 researchers per million inhabitants between 2011 and 2018. The amount of funding available to each researcher more than doubled from PPP$14,310 (constant 2005 values) to PPP$22,480, since the domestic research effort has also risen since 2012, from 0.11% to 0.21% of GDP.
Burundi has almost tripled its scientific output since 2011 but the pace has not picked up since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. With six scientific publications per million inhabitants, Burundi still has one of the lowest publication rate in Central and East Africa. Some 97.5% of publications involved foreign co-authorship between 2017 and 2019, with Ugandans figuring among the top five partners.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Burundi para niños
