Overview
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeastern Africa. With a population of over 14 million people, it is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Lake Tanganyika lies along its southwestern border. The political capital city is Gitega and the economic capital and largest city is Bujumbura.
Geography and Location
One of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi is characterized by its strategic location in the Great Rift Valley and its position within the African Great Lakes region. The country remains primarily rural, with just 13.4% of the population living in urban areas as of 2019. Burundi is densely populated, and many young people emigrate in search of opportunities elsewhere.
Population and Languages
Burundi is home to diverse ethnic groups with distinct populations. Roughly 81% of the population are of Hutu ethnic origin, 18% are Tutsi, and fewer than 1% are Twa. These three peoples have lived in Burundi for at least 500 years.
The official languages of Burundi are Kirundi, French, and English—Kirundi being officially recognized as the sole national language. English was made an official language in 2014.
Historical Background
Burundi is one of the few countries in Africa to be a direct territorial continuation of a pre-colonial era African state. The Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi peoples have inhabited the region for at least 500 years, and for more than 200 of those years, Burundi was an independent kingdom.
The Kingdom of Burundi emerged in the late 16th century on the eastern foothills of the Rift Valley. Over the following centuries, it expanded by annexing smaller neighbors. The kingdom was characterized by a hierarchical political authority with a ruler known as the mwami who headed a princely aristocracy, or ganwa.
In 1885, Burundi became part of the German colony of German East Africa. After Germany's defeat in World War I, the League of Nations mandated the territories of Burundi and Rwanda to Belgium as a combined territory called Rwanda-Urundi in 1924. Following World War II, this transformed into a United Nations Trust Territory.
Independence and Modern History
Burundi gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962 and initially retained the monarchy. However, a coup d'état in 1966 replaced the monarchy with a one-party republic.
The country experienced significant instability in subsequent decades. For 27 years following the 1966 coup, Burundi was ruled by a series of ethnic Tutsi dictators and notably experienced a genocide of its Hutu population in 1972. In July 1993, Melchior Ndadaye became Burundi's first Hutu president following the country's first multi-party presidential election. His assassination three months later during a coup attempt provoked the 12-year Burundian Civil War.
In 2000, the Arusha Agreement was adopted, which was largely integrated into a new constitution in 2005. Since the 2005 post-war elections, the country's dominant party has been the Hutu-led National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD), which has been widely accused of authoritarian governance and perpetuating the country's poor human rights record.
Economy and Environment
Burundi remains primarily dependent on subsistence agriculture and grazing. The country is the poorest country in the world by nominal GDP per capita and is one of the least developed countries, facing widespread poverty, corruption, instability, and authoritarianism.
Deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat loss are major ecological concerns. As of 2005, the country was almost completely deforested, with less than 6% of its land covered by trees, and over half of that being for commercial plantations.
International Relations
Burundi is a member of the African Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, United Nations, East African Community (EAC), OIF, and the Non-Aligned Movement.