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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

8,000 telephones; primative system; telephone density - 1.3 telephones/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: sparse system of wire, radiocommunications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay links international: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (includes naval and air units), paramilitary Gendarmerie

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $25 million, 2.6% of GDP (1993) CAMBODIA

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,350,042; males fit for military service 705,864; males reach military age (16) annually 73,308 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 50% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, cotton, tea; food crops - corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc; livestock - meat, milk, hides and skins

Budget [time series]

revenues: $318 million expenditures: $326 million, including capital expenditures of $150 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $71 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $32 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $175 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 55,000 kW production: 100 million kWh consumption per capita: 20 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 248.51 (December 1994), 252.66 (1994), 242.78 (1993), 208.30 (1992), 181.51 (1991), 171.26 (1990), 158.67 (1989), 140.40 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$68 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides, and skins partners: EC 57%, US 19%, Asia 1%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.05 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$203 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: capital goods 31%, petroleum products 15%, foodstuffs, consumer goods partners: EC 45%, Asia 29%, US 2%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 11% (1991 est.); accounts for about 15% of GDP

Industries [time series]

light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1993 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$600 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-13.5% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

A landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development, Burundi since October 1993 has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence that has displaced an estimated million people, disrupted production, and set back needed reform programs. Burundi is predominately agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop, which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports therefore continues to rest largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market. As part of its economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with IMF and World Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its agricultural exports, attract foreign investment in industry, and modernize government budgetary practices. Although the government remains committed to reforms, it fears new austerity measures would add to ethnic tensions.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 27,830 sq km land area: 25,650 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Climate [time series]

temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands; dry season from June to September

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations natural hazards: flooding, landslides international agreements: party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

720 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 974 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 43% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 35% forest and woodland: 2% other: 12%

Location [time series]

Central Africa, east of Zaire

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium

Note [time series]

landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed

Terrain [time series]

hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi

Capital [time series]

Bujumbura

Constitution [time series]

13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a plural political system

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: post vacant since recall of Ambassador Jacques BACAMURWANKO in November 1994 chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA (since September 1994) note: President Melchior NDADAYE, Burundi's first democratically elected president, 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 Antoine NDUWAYO (since February 1995); selected by President NTIBANTUNGANYA following the resignation of Anatole KANYENKIKO on 15 February 1995 cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[257] (2) 22926

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system [time series]

based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)) [time series]

elections last held 29 June 1993 (next to be held NA); results - FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats - (81 total) FRODEBU 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 for constitutional government was adopted by a national referendum on 5 February 1991

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 July (1962)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

NA;

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Unity for National Progress (UPRONA); Burundi Democratic Front (FRODEBU); Organization of the People of Burundi (RBP); Socialist Party of Burundi (PSB); People's Reconciliation Party (PRP); opposition parties, legalized in March 1992, include Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation (ABASA); Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES); and Party for National Redress (PARENA)

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult at age NA

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. KRUEGER embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] (2) 23454

People

Africans [time series]

Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1% non-Africans: Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 48% (female 1,489,721; male 1,494,730) 15-64 years: 50% (female 1,606,307; male 1,498,021) 65 years and over: 2% (female 105,446; male 68,204) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

43.35 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

21.51 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

111.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1.9 million (1983 est.) by occupation: agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%, services 1.5%

Languages [time series]

Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 39.86 years male: 37.84 years female: 41.95 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 50% male: 61% female: 40%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundi

Net migration rate [time series]

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: in a number of waves since April 1994, hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the civil strife between the Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi and crossed into Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zaire; the refugee flows are continuing in 1995 as the ethnic violence has persisted

Population [time series]

6,262,429 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.18% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 32%, Muslim 1%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.63 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 4 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 5,900 km paved: 640 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 2,260 km; improved, unimproved earth 3,000 km (1990)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

Lake Tanganyika

Ports [time series]

Bujumbura

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

0 km