2006 Edition

Administrative divisions

17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200) 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides

Airports

8 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2006)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

7 914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m

3 (2006)

Area

land

25,650 sq km

total

27,830 sq km

water

2,180 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Background

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. Over 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 the summer of 2006 but still faces many challenges. Geography Burundi

Birth rate

42.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$278 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

revenues

$215.4 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

3 23 S, 29 22 E

name

Bujumbura

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Burundi

conventional short form

Burundi

former

Urundi

local long form

Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi

local short form

Burundi

Currency (code)

Burundi franc (BIF)

Currency code

BIF

Current account balance

$-29 million (2005 est.)

Death rate

13.46 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$1.2 billion (2003)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER

embassy

Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura

mailing address

B. P. 1720, Bujumbura

telephone

[257] 223454

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO

telephone

[1] (202) 342-2574

Disputes - international

Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in an effort to gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite the presence of about 6,000 peacekeepers from the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004; although some 150,000 Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as of February 2005, Burundian refugees still reside in camps in western Tanzania as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Distribution of family income - Gini index

33.3 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$105.5 million (2003)

Economy - overview

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 10 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. 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.

Electricity - consumption

141.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

10 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003)

Electricity - production

141.3 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

0.6%

hydro

99.4%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Heha 2,670 m

lowest point

Lake Tanganyika 772 m

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Ethnic groups

Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Exchange rates

Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by president

chief of state

President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006)

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

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

head of government

President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006)

Exports

$52 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides

Exports - partners

Germany 24.4%, Belgium 11.1%, Netherlands 8%, Switzerland 5.8%, US 4.6%, Pakistan 4% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 342-2578

[257] 222926

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Burundi

Flag description

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) Economy Burundi

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

46.3%

industry

20.3%

services

33.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$700 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.1% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$730 million (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.404 billion (2005 est.)

Geographic coordinates

3 30 S, 30 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile People Burundi

Government type

republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

25,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

250,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.9% (1998)

lowest 10%

1.8%

IDPs

145,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2005) This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Imports

$200 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.6%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%, France 5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005)

Independence

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

Industrial production growth rate

18% (2001)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

70.26 deaths/1,000 live births

total

63.13 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

16% (2005 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Internet country code

.bi

Internet hosts

160 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

25,000 (2005) Transportation Burundi

Investment (gross fixed)

11.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Irrigated land

210 sq km (2003)

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)

Labor force

2.99 million (2002)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

93.6%

industry

2.3%

services

4.1% (2002 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km

total

974 km

Land use

arable land

35.57%

other

51.31% (2005)

permanent crops

13.12%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

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 by indirect vote to serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state)

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

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)

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.58 years (2006 est.)

male

50.07 years

total population

50.81 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

45.2% (2003 est.) Government Burundi

male

58.5%

total population

51.6%

Location

Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

malaria (2005)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,656,366 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

1,676,855

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

932,767 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

955,616

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 16-49

90,685 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

91,331

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

16.9 years (2006 est.)

male

16.4 years

total

16.6 years

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$43.9 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.6% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Burundi

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN)

Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie (being disbanded) (2006)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Nationality

adjective

Burundian

noun

Burundian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural hazards

flooding, landslides, drought

Natural resources

nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Net migration rate

8.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003)

Political parties and leaders

the three national, mainstream, governing parties are: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA, president]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president]

note

a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

8,090,068

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 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

68% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

3.7% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bujumbura Military Burundi

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios

440,000 (2001)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

48,424 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Religions

Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$105 million (2005 est.)

Roadways

paved

1,028 km

total

14,480 km

unpaved

13,452 km (1999)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Telephone system

domestic

sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay

general assessment

primitive system

international

country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

27,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular

153,000 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2001)

Televisions

25,000 (1997)

Terrain

hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Total fertility rate

6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Waterways

mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2003)