Burundi

Burundi

Country

Native name

Republika y’Uburundi

Capital

Gitega

Largest city

Bujumbura

Official languages

Kirundi, French

Demonym

Burundian

Legislature

Parliament

Currency

Burundian franc(BIF)

Calling code

+257

Website

Official website

Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa. It borders Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its southwestern frontier reaches Lake Tanganyika. The political capital is Gitega, while Bujumbura, on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, is the country's largest city and economic capital.

Burundi covers 27,834 square kilometres. The United Nations Statistics Division estimated its population at about 14.39 million in 2025, making it one of the more densely populated countries in Africa. The national language is Kirundi, while Kirundi and French have official status in current government usage; English and Swahili are also used in education, commerce and regional communication.

Burundi developed as a centralized kingdom before becoming part of German East Africa at the end of the nineteenth century. Belgium occupied the territory during the First World War and later administered Burundi and neighboring Rwanda as Ruanda-Urundi, first under a League of Nations mandate and later as a United Nations trust territory. Burundi became independent on 1 July 1962 as a constitutional monarchy and was proclaimed a republic in 1966.

The decades after independence were marked by coups, political violence and conflict between political and military groups whose divisions frequently overlapped with Hutu and Tutsi identities. The assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye in 1993 was followed by a prolonged civil war. The Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, signed in 2000, and later ceasefire agreements formed the basis of a political transition that helped end the war.

Burundi is a member of the United Nations, African Union, East African Community and several other regional and international organizations. It joined the East African Community in 2007. Since June 2020, the presidency has been held by Évariste Ndayishimiye.

Name

The country's official French name is République du Burundi, while its Kirundi name is Republika y’Uburundi. The name Burundi is derived from the name historically used for the kingdom and its people.

History

Kingdom and pre-colonial society

Before European colonial rule, the territory of modern Burundi formed the core of the Kingdom of Burundi, a centralized monarchy ruled by a mwami, or king. Royal authority was supported by regional chiefs, ritual institutions and systems of political and economic obligation. Hutu, Tutsi and Twa communities all formed part of Burundian society, and Kirundi developed as a shared language across most of the kingdom.

The monarchy became an important source of political and cultural identity. Royal institutions were also connected with ceremonial traditions, including sacred drums and the annual Umuganuro agricultural festival. The royal residence at Gishora, near Gitega, remains an important historical site associated with the nineteenth-century reign of King Ntare Rugamba.

German and Belgian rule

European travelers and missionaries reached the region during the nineteenth century. Burundi formally came under German administration in 1899 as part of German East Africa. German authority remained relatively indirect and relied in part on existing local political structures.

Belgian forces occupied Burundi during the First World War. In 1923, the League of Nations granted Belgium a mandate over Ruanda-Urundi, consisting of present-day Burundi and Rwanda. After the Second World War, the territory became a United Nations trust territory administered by Belgium.

Political parties emerged more openly during the late colonial period. The Union for National Progress (UPRONA), led by Prince Louis Rwagasore, won the 1961 legislative elections. Rwagasore was assassinated later that year, shortly before independence.

Independence and the end of the monarchy

Burundi became independent from Belgian administration on 1 July 1962, with King Mwambutsa IV as head of state. Political instability increased during the first years of independence. A series of assassinations, attempted coups and ethnic violence weakened the monarchy and civilian institutions.

Mwambutsa IV was displaced in 1966 and replaced by his son, Ntare V. On 28 November 1966, Prime Minister Michel Micombero overthrew Ntare V, abolished the monarchy and declared Burundi a republic.

Military governments and political violence

Micombero established a military-dominated government. In 1972, a rebellion in southern Burundi was followed by large-scale killings and repression. A United Nations report later described more than 100,000 Hutu deaths and a major refugee exodus during the events.

Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bagaza removed Micombero in a bloodless coup in 1976. Bagaza was himself overthrown in 1987 by Major Pierre Buyoya. Violence in 1988 again caused substantial loss of life and displacement.

Political reforms during Buyoya's rule opened the way for multiparty elections. In 1993, Melchior Ndadaye of the Front for Democracy in Burundi became the country's first democratically elected Hutu president. He was assassinated during an attempted military coup in October 1993.

Civil war and peace process

Ndadaye's assassination was followed by massacres, insurgency and a civil war that lasted for more than a decade. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed or displaced over the course of the conflict.

Peace negotiations involving the government, political parties and armed groups led to the signing of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement on 28 August 2000. The agreement established a framework for power-sharing, political reform, transitional institutions and ethnic representation in state bodies.

Further ceasefire agreements were reached with armed organizations, including the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD). In 2005, the post-transition electoral process resulted in the election of CNDD-FDD leader Pierre Nkurunziza as president.

Since 2005

Nkurunziza was re-elected in 2010. His decision to seek another term in 2015 triggered major demonstrations, an attempted coup and a political and human-rights crisis. Opponents argued that another term violated the Arusha framework, while the government maintained that his first term did not count because he had originally been elected by parliament rather than by direct popular vote. International human-rights bodies documented killings, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on independent media and the flight of opposition figures and civil-society activists during the crisis.

A revised constitution was promulgated in 2018. It retained a presidential system while providing for seven-year presidential terms and re-establishing the office of prime minister.

Évariste Ndayishimiye, the CNDD-FDD candidate, won the 2020 presidential election and took office on 18 June 2020 following Nkurunziza's death.

Geography

Burundi is a landlocked country occupying part of the highlands between the Congo Basin and the East African plateau. It has an area of 27,834 square kilometres. Rwanda lies to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

Much of the country consists of hills, ridges and high plateaus. The western portion descends toward the Rusizi River plain and Lake Tanganyika. The lake forms part of Burundi's southwestern boundary and provides fishing grounds, transport routes and important aquatic ecosystems.

The central plateau is cooler than the lowlands around Bujumbura. Burundi's tourism ministry describes average temperatures near Lake Tanganyika as around Template:Convert, compared with about Template:Convert in parts of the central plateau.

Environment and protected areas

Burundi contains highland forest, savanna, wetlands, lake environments and cultivated landscapes. Important protected areas include Kibira National Park, Ruvubu National Park and Rusizi National Park. Kibira protects montane forest in the northwestern highlands, while Ruvubu encompasses savanna and riverine habitats in eastern Burundi.

Population density and dependence on agriculture have placed pressure on forests, soils and other natural resources. Environmental policy therefore includes land restoration, watershed management, forest conservation and adaptation to climate-related risks.

Administrative divisions

Burundi underwent a major territorial reorganization that reduced the number of provinces to five. Current government sources list the provinces as:

• Buhumuza
• Bujumbura
• Burunga
• Butanyerera
• Gitega

The provinces are further divided into communes and smaller local administrative units.

Government and politics

Burundi is a presidential republic governed under the Constitution promulgated in 2018. The constitution defines the country as an independent, sovereign, secular, democratic and unitary republic and provides for elected national institutions.

The president is head of state and holds significant executive authority. Évariste Ndayishimiye has served as president since 18 June 2020. Prosper Bazombanza serves as vice president, while Nestor Ntahontuye is prime minister.

Legislative authority is exercised by a bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate. Constitutional and electoral arrangements include representation requirements intended to maintain ethnic and gender inclusion in national institutions.

Political parties and elections

The National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) has been Burundi's dominant governing party since the post-conflict transition.

Legislative elections held on 5 June 2025 resulted in the CNDD-FDD winning all 100 directly elected National Assembly seats. Eleven additional members were co-opted, including three Twa representatives, bringing the chamber to 111 members. Opposition groups disputed aspects of the political and electoral environment, while official institutions confirmed the results through the country's electoral and constitutional procedures.

Foreign relations

Burundi joined the United Nations on 18 September 1962. It became a member of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the African Union, on 25 May 1963.

Burundi and Rwanda acceded to the East African Community treaty in June 2007 and became full members on 1 July 2007. Regional cooperation has expanded Burundi's participation in customs, trade, infrastructure, health and political integration initiatives.

In February 2026, President Ndayishimiye became chairperson of the African Union for the February 2026–February 2027 term.

Economy

Burundi is a low-income economy in which agriculture remains a major source of employment and household income. Coffee and tea have traditionally been important export crops, while subsistence farmers produce crops such as beans, maize, cassava, bananas and sweet potatoes.

The World Bank recorded Burundi's gross domestic product at about US$3.36 billion in 2025 and GDP per capita at approximately US$234.

Coffee and gold are among the country's major export earners. According to the International Monetary Fund, economic growth reached an estimated 4.2% in 2025, supported in part by stronger coffee and gold exports. The IMF reported that inflation fell substantially between April 2025 and April 2026, although Burundi continued to face foreign-exchange shortages, external imbalances and structural economic constraints.

Mining has become an increasingly important part of government development plans, particularly for gold and other mineral resources. Authorities have also emphasized electrification, agricultural modernization, infrastructure investment and domestic production as priorities under the country's long-term development strategy.

Demographics

The United Nations estimated Burundi's population at approximately 14.39 million in 2025. The population is predominantly rural, although Bujumbura and other towns have expanded significantly.

Burundi's population is commonly described in terms of three historic ethnic communities: Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. Ethnic identity has played an important role in the country's political history, particularly during periods of conflict. At the same time, the population shares important cultural characteristics, including widespread use of Kirundi.

Languages

Kirundi is the national language and is spoken by the great majority of the population. Article 5 of the 2018 Constitution identifies Kirundi as the national language and states that official languages consist of Kirundi and other languages determined by law.

Current government information lists Kirundi and French as official languages and notes that English and Swahili are also widely used. Swahili is especially important in trade and cross-border communication in the Great Lakes and East African regions.

Religion

Christianity is the majority religion in Burundi. Roman Catholic and Protestant communities account for most of the population, while Islam and indigenous religious traditions are also present. Religious institutions have historically played important roles in education, health care and community life.

Culture

Burundian culture includes oral traditions, music, dance, poetry, craftsmanship, social ceremonies and regional customs. Kirundi oral literature includes proverbs, stories, songs and poetry that have traditionally transmitted history, values and communal memory.

Drumming is one of Burundi's best-known cultural traditions. The ritual dance of the royal drum combines synchronized drumming, dance, heroic poetry and traditional songs. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.

The tradition is associated with historic drum sanctuaries, including Gishora, and is performed at national celebrations and other important events. UNESCO describes the practice as an important expression of Burundian identity and social cohesion.

Traditional craftsmanship includes pottery, basketry, metalworking and other locally developed techniques. Burundi's intangible-cultural-heritage inventory also records oral traditions, ceremonies, performing arts and knowledge connected with nature and traditional medicine.

Tourism

Burundi's tourism attractions include Lake Tanganyika, highland landscapes, national parks, tea-growing areas, waterfalls and cultural heritage sites. The national tourism authority promotes destinations including the Gishora drummers, Teza tea plantations, Karera waterfalls and several lakes and natural landscapes.

Gitega is home to the National Museum of Gitega and several sites associated with the former monarchy. The Gishora royal residence was added to Burundi's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage consideration in 2026.

Transportation

Road transport carries most domestic passenger and freight traffic. The principal road network connects Bujumbura with Gitega, the northern and eastern provinces, and border crossings with Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Melchior Ndadaye International Airport in Bujumbura is the country's main international airport. Lake Tanganyika also serves as a transport corridor linking Burundi with neighboring countries and other communities around the lake.

Education

Burundi's education system includes primary, secondary, technical and higher education. Kirundi is widely used in the early stages of schooling, while French and other languages are used at higher levels and in particular subjects. The University of Burundi, based principally in Bujumbura, is the country's main public university.

Education policy has been shaped by population growth, shortages of facilities and teachers, and efforts to expand access to schooling and vocational training.

Health

Burundi's public-health system includes hospitals, health centers and community-based services. Major policy priorities include maternal and child health, infectious-disease control, nutrition, vaccination and expansion of access to essential health care.

Health outcomes have improved over the long term, although poverty, rural isolation and limited financial and medical resources continue to affect access to services.

See also

• East Africa
• Great Lakes region of Africa
• History of Burundi
• Lake Tanganyika
• East African Community
• List of countries in Africa

External links

• Government portal of Burundi
• Presidency of the Republic of Burundi
• Office of the Prime Minister of Burundi
• Official tourism portal
• East African Community
• United Nations data profile for Burundi