Country Information on Burundi 

Terrain

Burundi is situated on a hilly plateau which averages at 1,520 above sea level. It drops gradually towards the east and south-east. A thin fringe area which is bordered by the river Rusisi and Lake Tanganyika is located in the Great Rift Valley. The most important rivers are the Rusisi, Malagarasi and Ruvuvu. The country's highest peak is Mount Heha (2,670 m).

Climate

Burundi has a tropical climate, but temperatures are moderate in the higher areas of the country. The average annual temperature on the plateau is 21.1°C; it is 24.4°C in lower areas of the valleys. There are two dry periods that last from June to August and December to January.

Fauna/Flora

Savannah vegetation (grassland interspersed with trees) dominates the countryside. Eucalyptus, acacia and oil palm are the most common trees. Burundi has a great variety of animals such as elephants, leopards, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, wild boars, antelope and lemurs, as well as guinea fowl, partridges, ducks, geese, quails and snipes.

History/Politics

The Hutu arrived in the region in the early 14th century; they imposed their language and customs on the native people. After subjugating the Hutu in Rwanda, the Tutsi subjugated the Hutu in Burundi as well and established a kingdom. The Germans occupied Burundi (then called Urundi) in the late 1880s and it was incorporated, along with Rwanda, into German East Africa.

After World War I, the area was mandated to Belgium by the League of Nations. Following World War II, it became a United Nations (UN) trust territory administrated by Belgium. The state became an independent constitutional monarchy in 1962. However, political rivalry between the Hutu and Tutsi threatened the country's stability. Despite the fact that the Hutu had gained a majority in the legislative assembly in the 1965 elections, power remained in the hands of the Tutsi.

A group of Hutu soldiers and police therefore attempted a coup which was put down by loyalist Tutsi troops under the command of Captain Michel Micombero. In 1966, the King or "Mwami" Mwambutsa IV was dethroned by his son Ntare V. Four months later, Prime Minister Micombero staged a successful coup. He declared Burundi a republic with himself as president and founded a National Revolutionary Committee, which was intended to strengthen his regime and to promote economic growth.

In 1972, a Hutu revolt led to a massacre which counted Ntare (who had been placed under house arrest) among its victims. The revolt was suppressed but the country remained unstable and thousands of Hutu sought refuge in the neighbouring countries. Jean Baptiste Bagaza became president in 1976. A one party system was introduced in Burundi in 1981, in accordance with the constitution. Jean Baptiste Bagaza was overthrown in a military coup in 1987.

The new president was Major Pierre Buyoya, who ruled the country as head of the Military Committee for National Salvation. In August 1988, as least 5,000 people fell victim to the renewed fighting that broke out between the Hutu and Tutsi. A new constitution was adopted in a referendum in 1992, which guaranteed a multiparty system. In 1993, Burundi held its first democratic presidential elections since independence.

Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu and member of the Burundi Democratic Front, won the elections with a majority of 60%, but was killed in an attempted coup less than a month later. The death of Ndadaye unleashed a series of violent clashes between the two ethnic groups, which caused thousands to flee to neighbouring Rwanda. The Tutsi official Pierre Buyoya regained power in a military coup in July 1996. He signed the Arusha Peace Agreement with 13 political parties in 2000. Fighting broke out again between the government and rebels in 2003, but a peace agreement was signed in October of the same year, which brought an end to a decade of internal conflict. Pierre Nkurunziza, a former resistance fighter, was elected president in 2005 after his party won the elections.

Economy

Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture forms the most important part of the economy; its main products are coffee, beans, rice, manioc and bananas. The export of coffee brings most of the country's income, but there is a trade deficit. The economic measures taken have added to existing ethnic tensions. Ethnic instability and the resulting political instability have greatly reduced Burundi's production potential and economic capacity. In 2003, the inflation rate was 11%.

Culture

The Burundians have strong literary traditions that were handed down from generation to generation by word. Music is often part of those traditions. Folk tales and fables are also set to music; no distinction whatsoever is made between music and poetry and they form an almost inseparable unit. The Tutsi are particularly known for their heroic songs and poetry telling of powerful dynasties of the past, strongly flavoured with traditional mythology.

The most important themes of Burundian literary and musical traditions are cattle, the history of the area, and the travels of the god Imana throughout the country. Tall, splendidly adorned dancers and drummers were traditionally entertainers for the royal elite and travellers.