Travelling Club - Burundi

Fact Sheet: Burundi

• Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S, 30 00 E
• Area: total: 27,830 sq km
• 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)
• Terrain: hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
• Natural hazards: flooding, landslides, drought
• Population: 8,090,068
• Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
• Religions: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
• Languages: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
• Government type: republic
• Capital: name: Bujumbura
• Currency code: Burundi franc (BIF)
• Exchange rates: Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001)
• Internet country code: .bi
• Airports: 8 (2006)