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Burundi Country Guide
Explore Burundi in Africa
The landscape offers hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains. The average density of population is approximately 312 per km². The notable climate conditions in Burundi can be described as equatorial with 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 and two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January). Potential threats by nature are flooding or landslides or drought.
To reach someone in Burundi dial +257 prior to a number. There are 31,500 installed telephones. And there are 838,400 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".bi". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Burundi
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); green symbolizes hope and optimism, white purity and peace, and red the blood shed in the struggle for independence; the three stars in the disk represent the three major ethnic groups: Hutu, Twa, Tutsi, as well as the three elements in the national motto: unity, work, progress.
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 government of President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, who was reelected in 2010, continues to face many political and economic challenges.
Geography Quick-Facts
Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda Capital: Bujumbura |
Size | 27,830 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 10,745 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Maryland |
Population | 8,691,000 |
Currency | Name Franc, Currency Code:BIF |
Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .bi |
Telephone Country Prefix | +257 |
Mobile Phone Connections | 838,400 |
Landline Phone Connections | 31,500 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Area | 27,830 (sq km) | 147 |
People and Society
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Population | 10,888,321 | 78 |
Population growth rate | 3.08 (%) | 6 |
Birth rate | 40.04 (births/1,000 population) | 7 |
Death rate | 9.12 (deaths/1,000 population) | 65 |
Net migration rate | -0.17 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 116 |
Maternal mortality rate | 800.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 5 |
Infant mortality rate | 58.86 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 26 |
Life expectancy at birth | 59.69 (years) | 194 |
Total fertility rate | 5.99 (children born/woman) | 6 |
Health expenditures | 11.60 (% of GDP) | 12 |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 3.30 (%) | 21 |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 180,000 | 28 |
HIV/AIDS - deaths | 15,000 | 19 |
Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 2.90 (%) | 176 |
Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 35.20 (%) | 7 |
Education expenditures | 6.10 (% of GDP) | 36 |
Economy
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | 5,578,000,000 | 169 |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.00 (%) | 81 |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | 600 | 226 |
Labor force | 4,245,000 | 90 |
Distribution of family income - Gini index | 42.40 | 50 |
Investment (gross fixed) | 21.70 (% of GDP) | 76 |
Taxes and other revenues | 19.10 (% of GDP) | 170 |
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.40 (% of GDP) | 122 |
Public debt | 72.30 (% of GDP) | 36 |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 16.00 (%) | 214 |
Central bank discount rate | 10.00 (%) | 23 |
Commercial bank prime lending rate | 13.33 (%) | 62 |
Stock of narrow money | 372,400,000 | 167 |
Stock of broad money | 519,000,000 | 176 |
Stock of domestic credit | 642,700,000 | 167 |
Industrial production growth rate | 7.00 (%) | 39 |
Current account balance | -337,400,000 | 86 |
Exports | 107,400,000 | 189 |
Imports | 569,700,000 | 189 |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 335,800,000 | 153 |
Debt - external | 231,700,000 | 185 |
Energy
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Electricity - production | 127,000,000 (kWh) | 190 |
Electricity - consumption | 198,100,000 (kWh) | 185 |
Electricity - imports | 80,000,000 (kWh) | 95 |
Electricity - installed generating capacity | 52,000 (kW) | 182 |
Electricity - from fossil fuels | 1.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 203 |
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 98.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 7 |
Refined petroleum products - consumption | 2,290 (bbl/day) | 188 |
Refined petroleum products - imports | 1,334 (bbl/day) | 189 |
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 527,800 (Mt) | 179 |
Communications
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Telephones - main lines in use | 30,000 | 177 |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,915,000 | 141 |
Internet hosts | 229 | 199 |
Internet users | 157,800 | 147 |
Transportation
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Airports | 7 | 165 |
Roadways | 12,322 (km) | 129 |
Military
Value name | Value | World Rank |
---|---|---|
Military expenditures | 5.90 (% of GDP) | 12 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases