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| Introduction | Burundi |
| Background: | Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only four months in office. Since then, some 200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread, often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries. Burundi troops, seeking to secure their borders, intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998. More recently, many of these troops have been redeployed back to Burundi to deal with periodic upsurges in rebel activity. A new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, was to be the first step toward holding national elections in three years. While the Government of Burundi signed a cease-fire agreement in December 2002 with three of Burundi's four Hutu rebel groups, implementation of the agreement has been problematic and one rebel group refuses to sign on, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace. |
| People | Burundi |
| Population: | 6,231,221 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 46.4% (male 1,459,251; female 1,430,332) 15-64 years: 50.9% (male 1,566,274; female 1,607,705) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 66,306; female 101,353) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 16.5 years male: 16.1 years female: 16.8 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.2% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 39.68 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 17.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 70.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 63.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 77.15 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 43.36 years male: 42.73 years female: 44 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 6% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 250,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 25,000 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| Nationality: | noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundian |
| Ethnic groups: | Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000 |
| Religions: | Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10% |
| Languages: | Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.6% male: 58.5% female: 45.2% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Burundi |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local short form: Burundi local long form: Republika y'u Burundi former: Urundi |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Bujumbura |
| Administrative divisions: | 16 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi |
| Independence: | 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 1 July (1962) |
| Constitution: | 13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two vice presidents |
| Legal system: | based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | NA years of age; universal adult |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the second half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President Frederic NGENZEBUHORO (since 11 November 2004) head of government: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the second half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President Frederic NGENZEBUHORO (since 11 November 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: NA; current president assumed power on 30 April 2003 as part of the transitional government established by the 2000 Arusha Accord |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (expanded from 121 to approximately 140 seats under the transitional government inaugurated 1 November 2001; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; term length is undefined, the current senators will likely serve out the three-year transition period) elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but was suspended by presidential decree in 1996; elections are planned to follow the completion of the three-year transitional government) election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16, civilians 27, other parties 13 |
| 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) |
| Political parties and leaders: | the two national, mainstream, governing parties are: Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Alphonse KADEGE, president]; Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Jean MINANI, president] note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation or ABASA [Terrence NSANZE]; Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development or RADDES [Joseph NZEYIMANA]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]; People's Reconciliation Party or PRP [Mathias HITIMANA] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | loosely organized Hutu and Tutsi militias, often affiliated with Hutu and Tutsi extremist parties or subordinate to government security forces |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine NTAMOBWA chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James Howard YELLIN embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454 FAX: [257] 222926 |
| Flag description: | divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer 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) |
| Communications | Burundi |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 23,900 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 64,000 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: primitive system domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Radios: | 440,000 (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2001) |
| Televisions: | 25,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .bi |
| Internet hosts: | 22 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 14,000 (2003) |
| Transportation | Burundi |
| Highways: | total: 14,480 km paved: 1,028 km unpaved: 13,452 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Bujumbura |
| Airports: | 8 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Burundi |
| Military branches: | Army (including Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,419,755 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 747,400 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 81,862 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $33.3 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 6% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Burundi |
| Disputes - international: | Tutsi, Hutu, and 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 to gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 60,288 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) IDPs: 140,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2004) |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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