International Security Bulletin

Burundi

Republic of Burundi

Capital: Bujumbura

The Burundi Bulletin

Weekly Brief: May 4, 2015

Top Story Representatives from around the world traveled to New York this week to begin the ninth review conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Review conferences have been held every five years since the NPT entered into effect in 1970. American Secretary of State John Kerry, who will lead his country’s […]

History

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

Metric Units

Total Area 27,830 sq km
Land Boundaries 974 km
Border Countries Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km
Coastline 0 km
Terrain hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
Minimum Elevation 772 m
Maximum Elevation 2,670 m
Climate 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)
Natural Resources nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
Arable Land 33.06%
Permanent Crops 14.37%

Economy

Gross Domestic Product $5.49 billion
GDP (per capita) $600
GDP Growth 4.2%
Unemployment Rate No data%
Population in Poverty 68%
GINI Index 42.4

Budget & Debt

Expenditures $558.5 million
Revenue $473.2 million
Current Account Balance $-337.4 million
External Debt $231.7 million

Trade

Exports $107.4 million
Export Items coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides
Export Partners Germany 15.6%, China 10.5%, Sweden 9.5%, Belgium 9%, Pakistan 7.4%, US 7.4%, France 4.3% (2011)
Imports $569.7 million
Import Items capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs
Import Partners Saudi Arabia 17.1%, Belgium 8.3%, China 7.6%, Uganda 7.5%, Kenya 6.6%, Zambia 6.5%, US 6.3%, France 5.1%, India 4.1% (2011)

People

Population 10,888,321
Population Growth 3.08%
Ethnic Groups Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religion Christian 82.8% (Roman Catholic 61.4%, Protestant 21.4%), Muslim 2.5%, Adventist 2.3%, other 6.5%, unknown 5.9% (2008 census)
Life Expectancy 59.69 years
Infant Mortality 0.98 deaths/1,000 live births
Maternal Mortality 4.9 deaths/100,000 live births

Energy

Electricity Production 127 million kWh
Electricity Consumption 198.1 million kWh
From Fossil Fuels 1.9%
From Nuclear 0%
From Hydroelectric 98.1%
From Renewable Sources 0%