Climate:
temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands
Terrain:
mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains
Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not
yet exploited), vanadium
Land use:
arable land:
43%
permanent crops:
8%
meadows and pastures:
35%
forest and woodland:
2%
other:
12%
Irrigated land:
720 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
soil exhaustion and erosion; deforestation; habitat loss threatening
wildlife populations
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
Population:
6,124,747 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.26% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
44.02 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
21.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
113.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
40.3 years
male:
38.31 years
female:
42.35 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.69 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Burundian(s)
adjective:
Burundi
Ethnic divisions:
Africans:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1% (other Africans
include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and Zairians)
non-Africans:
Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs
32%, Muslim 1%
Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika
and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
50%
male:
61%
female:
40%
Labor force:
1.9 million (1983 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%,
services 1.5%
note:
52% of population of working age (1985)
@Burundi, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Burundi
conventional short form:
Burundi
local long form:
Republika y'u Burundi
local short form:
Burundi
Digraph:
BY
Type:
republic
Capital:
Bujumbura
Administrative divisions:
15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega,
Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana,
Ruyigi
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a plural political system
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Interim President Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA, Speaker of the National
Assembly, succeeded deceased President NTARYAMIRA in early April 1994
with a mandate for at least 90 days; on 11 July 1994 the mandate was
extended by the Constitutional Court for three more months at the
request of 12 political parties locked in negotiations on a new
broad-based government; elections will be held later in 1994
note:
President Melchior NDADAYE died in the military coup of 21 October
1993 and was succeeded on 5 February 1994 by President Cyprien
NTARYAMIRA, who was killed in a mysterious airplane explosion on 6
April 1994
head of government:
Prime Minister Anatole KANYENKIKO (since 7 February 1994); chosen by
the president
cabinet:
Council of Ministers ; appointed by prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
elections last held 29 June 1993 (next to be held NA): results -
FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats - (81 total) FRODIBU 65, UPRONA 16;
other parties won too small shares of the vote to win seats in the
assembly
note:
The National Unity Charter outlining the principles