Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime minister : Freundel Stuart
President: Pierre Nkurunziza
Population
287,733
10,557,259
Life Expectancy
74.520 years
59.240 years
Capital City
Bridgetown
Largest city
Bridgetown (population: 98,511)
Bujumbura (population: 331,700)
Human Development Index
0.889
0.382
GDP per capita
$23,700 US
Literacy Rate
99.7%
59.3%
Corruption Perception Index
7
1.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
13.7%
31.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
12.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
republic
Independence date
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Religions
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages
English
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Exports
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
External Debt
$668,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
430 km sq
27,830 km sq
Coastline
97 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
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)
