About Burundi

Bringing peace back to the mountains

As Burundi tries to disentangle itself from years of internal conflict, reconstruction and economic integration efforts are stepping up.

Geography & climate

Tucked away in the centre of the African continent, Burundi is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. The country lies on a high plateau with considerable variation in altitude, which meets Lake Tanganyika in its southwest corner.

Burundi has an equatorial climate, with annual temperatures varying from 17 to 23 ºC. The wet seasons extend from February to May and September to November, and dry seasons from June to August and December to January.



Nature

Among the many ecosystems found in Burundi are low-altitude forests, wetlands, savannas, steppes and lakes.

The flora comprises more than 2,900 species, many of which are in higher altitude forests found nowhere else in the world (endemics). Burundi’s fauna includes 716 bird, 215 fish, 163 mammal, 56 amphibian, and 52 reptile species.

Around 100 animal species are considered threatened with extinction, and 10 mammal species have already disappeared from the country including the gorilla, lion and the elephant, among others.


Population & religion

Burundi’s earliest inhabitants, the pygmoid Twa, were mostly replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations from the west. A majority of the population is of Hutu ethnic origin, with the remaining population consisting of Tutsi and Twa people.

Burundi people are mostly Christian, followed by indigenous beliefs and Islam, however these estimates have not been verified. The official languages are Kirundi and French, and Swahili is spoken along the eastern border.



Economy & development

Burundi's economy is largely based on agriculture, with coffee the nation's biggest revenue earner and greatest export. Other agriculture products include cotton, tea, maize, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc; beef, milk, and hides. The country also produces shoes and soap.

Burundi’s land is rich in nickel, uranium, cobalt, copper, hydropower, gold, tin, and tungsten among others but so far these resources have not translated into improved living standards for the country’s population.

In fact, Burundi may be the poorest country in the world, with almost 70% of the population below the poverty line in 2002. In 2004, life expectancy at birth was 44 years and adult literacy rates for people aged 15 years and older was 59%.