Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general Prime minister: Baldwin Spencer
President: Pierre Nkurunziza
Population
89,018
10,557,259
Life Expectancy
75.690 years
59.240 years
Capital City
Saint John's
Largest city
Saint John's (population: 24,226)
Bujumbura (population: 331,700)
Human Development Index
0.83
0.382
GDP per capita
$18,200 US
Literacy Rate
85.8%
59.3%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
1.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
16.7%
31.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
11.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government
republic
Independence date
1 November 1981 (from UK)
Religions
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages
English (official), local dialects
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Exports
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
External Debt
$359,800,000 $
Exchange Rate
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) note: fixed rate since 1976
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
443 km sq
27,830 km sq
Coastline
153 km
0 km
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
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)
