drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production is on the increase as growers respond to the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–88), $158 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $3.8 billion; Communist countries (1970–88), $424 million
Currency: kyat (plural—kyats); 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1—6.5188 (January 1990), 6.7049 (1989), 6.3945 (1988), 6.6535 (1987), 7.3304 (1986), 8.4749 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 3,991 km total, all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113 km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track
Highways: 27,000 km total; 3,200 km bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
Pipelines: crude, 1,343 km; natural gas, 330 km
Ports: Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,814 GRT/955,924 DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 15 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical, 16 bulk
Civil air: 17 major transport aircraft (including 3 helicopters)
Airports: 88 total, 81 usable; 29 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220–2,439 m
Telecommunications: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service; international service is good; radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas; 53,000 telephones (1986); stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: eligible 15–49, 20,294,848; of the 10,135,886 males 15–49, 5,438,196 are fit for military service; of the 10,158,962 females 15–49, 5,437,518 are fit for military service; 434,200 males and 423,435 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures: $315.0 million, 21.0% of central government budget
(FY88)
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Country: Burundi
- Geography
Total area: 27,830 km2; land area: 25,650 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 974 km total; Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km,
Zaire 233 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands
Terrain: mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains
Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium
Land use: 43% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 35% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: soil exhaustion; soil erosion; deforestation
Note: landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
- People
Population: 5,645,997 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 111 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Burundian(s); adjective—Burundi
Ethnic divisions: Africans—85% Hutu (Bantu), 14% Tutsi (Hamitic), 1%
Twa (Pygmy); other Africans include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and
Zairians; non-Africans include about 3,000 Europeans and 2,000 South Asians
Religion: about 67% Christian (62% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant), 32% indigenous beliefs, 1% Muslim
Language: Kirundi and French (official); Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy: 33.8%
Labor force: 1,900,000 (1983 est.); 93.0% agriculture, 4.0% government, 1.5% industry and commerce, 1.5% services; 52% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: sole group is the Union of Burundi Workers (UTB); by charter, membership is extended to all Burundi workers (informally); figures denoting active membership unobtainable
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Burundi
Type: republic
Capital: Bujumbura
Administrative divisions: 15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi,
Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya,
Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Constitution: 20 November 1981; suspended following the coup of 3 September 1987
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dissolved following the coup of 3 September 1987
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State—President Pierre BUYOYA (since 9 September 1987);
