OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Burundi

Geography
Location: Central Africa. Bordering nations--Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda.
Area: 27,830 sq. km. (10,747 sq. mi.); about the size of Maryland.
Cities: Capital--Bujumbura (pop. 300,000). Other cities--Cibitoke, Muyinga, Ngozi, Bubanza, Gitega, Bururi.
Climate: Warm but not uncomfortable in Bujumbura; cooler in higher regions.
Terrain:
Hilly, rising from 780 meters (2,600 ft.) at the Shore of Lake
Tanganyika to mountains more than 2,700 meters (9,000 ft.) above sea
level.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burundian(s).
Population (2004 est.): 6.8 million.
Annual growth rate (2004 est.): 2.2%.
Ethnic groups (estimated): Hutu 85%; Tutsi 14%; Twa 1.0%.
Religions (estimated): Roman Catholic 60%-65%; Protestant 10%-15%; traditional beliefs 15%-20%; Muslim 5%.
Languages: Official--Kirundi, French; other--Kiswahili, English.
Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--84.05% male, 62.8% female. Literacy--37% adult.
Health (2004 est.): Life expectancy—42.73 yrs. (men), 44 yrs. (women). Infant mortality rate—70.4/1,000.

Government
Type: Republic; 3-year transitional government as of November 1, 2001.
Independence: July 1, 1962 (from Belgium).
Constitution:
A transitional constitution was adopted October 18, 2001. The
parliament adopted a post-transition constitution on September 17,
2004, that will be put to a nation-wide referendum.
Branches: Executive--transitional president, transitional vice president, 26-member Council of Ministers. Legislative—A
220-member National Assembly (85 elected, 134 appointed by the
signatories to the Arusha Peace Accords), and 54-member Senate (3 seats
reserved for former presidents, including one for former transitional
President Buyoya, 3 seats reserved for the ethnic Twa minority, and 2
Senators from each of the 16 provinces and the city of Bujumbura, one
Hutu and one Tutsi, plus 14 appointed by the president according to his
own criteria). Judicial--constitutional and subsidiary courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 16 provinces plus the city of Bujumbura, 117 communes.
Political
parties: Multi-party system consisting of 21 registered political
parties, of which FRODEBU (the Front for Democracy in Burundi,
predominantly Hutu with some Tutsi membership) and UPRONA (the National
Unity and Progress Party, predominantly Tutsi with some Hutu
membership) are national, mainstream parties. Other Tutsi and Hutu
opposition parties and groups include, among others, PARENA (the Party
for National Redress, Tutsi), ABASA (the Burundi African Alliance for
the Salvation, Tutsi), PRP (the People's Reconciliation Party, Tutsi),
CNDD (the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Hutu),
PALIPEHUTU (the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People, Hutu) and
FROLINA/FAP (the Front for the National Liberation of Burundi/Popular
Armed Forces, Hutu).
Suffrage: Universal adult; according to the
Arusha Peace Accords and the transitional constitution, elections were
to be held before November 2004; elections have been rescheduled, and
are now due to be completed in April 2005.

Economy
GDP (2003): $595 million; (2004 est.) $668 million.
Real growth rate (2003): -0.5%; (2004 est.) 5.4%.
Per capita GDP (2003): $87.3; (2004 est.) $96.
Inflation rate (2003): 10.7%; (2004 est.) 9.1%.
Central government budget: Receipts--(2003) $135.2 million; (2004 est.) $138.9 million; spending--(2003) $169.4 million; (2004 est.) $212.9 million.
Natural resources: Nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum deposits not yet exploited, vanadium.
Agriculture (2003, 47.4% of GDP): Products--coffee,
tea, sugar, cotton fabrics and oil, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes,
bananas, manioc (tapioca), beef, milk, hides, livestock feed, rice. Arable land--44%.
Industry (2003, 19.3% of GDP): Types—beverage
production, coffee and tea processing, cigarette production, sugar
refining, pharmaceuticals, light food processing, textiles, chemicals
(insecticides), public works construction, consumer goods, assembly of
imported components.
Services (2003): 33.3% of GDP.
Mining: Commercial quantities of alluvial gold, nickel, phosphates, rare earth, vanadium, and other; peat mining.
Trade (2003 est.): Exports--$46.8
million: coffee (50% of export earnings), tea, sugar, cotton fabrics,
hides. Major markets--U.K., Germany, Benelux, Switzerland. Imports--$127.5 million: food, beverages, tobacco, chemicals, road vehicles, petroleum and products. Major suppliers--Benelux, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan.
Total external debt (2003 est.): $1.2 billion.

PEOPLE
At
206.1 persons per sq. km., Burundi has the second-largest population
density in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most people live on farms near areas of
fertile volcanic soil. The population is made up of three major ethnic
groups--Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. Kirundi is the most widely spoken
language; French and Kiswahili also are widely spoken. Intermarriage
takes place frequently between the Hutus and Tutsis. Although Hutus
encompass the majority of the population, historically Tutsis have been
politically and economically dominant.

HISTORY
In
the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical
political authority and tributary economic exchange. A king (mwani)
headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land and
required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders. In the
mid-18th century, this Tutsi royalty consolidated authority over land,
production, and distribution with the development of the ubugabire--a
patron-client relationship in which the populace received royal
protection in exchange for tribute and land tenure.

Although European explorers
and missionaries made brief visits to the area as early as 1856, it was
not until 1899 that Burundi came under German East African
administration. In 1916 Belgian troops occupied the area. In 1923, the
League of Nations mandated to Belgium the territory of Ruanda-Urundi,
encompassing modern-day Rwanda and Burundi. The Belgians administered
the territory through indirect rule, building on the Tutsi-dominated
aristocratic hierarchy. Following World War II, Ruanda-Urundi became a
United Nations Trust Territory under Belgian administrative authority.
After 1948, Belgium permitted the emergence of competing political
parties. Two political parties emerged: the Union for National Progress
(UPRONA), a multi-ethnic party led by Tutsi Prince Louis Rwagasore and
the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) supported by Belgium. In 1961,
Prince Rwagasore was assassinated following an UPRONA victory in
legislative elections.

Full independence was
achieved on July 1, 1962. In the context of weak democratic
institutions at independence, Tutsi King Mwambutsa IV established a
constitutional monarchy comprising equal numbers of Hutus and Tutsis.
The 1965 assassination of the Hutu prime minister set in motion a
series of destabilizing Hutu revolts and subsequent governmental
repression. In 1966, King Mwambutsa was deposed by his son, Prince
Ntare IV, who himself was deposed the same year by a military coup lead
by Capt. Michel Micombero. Micombero abolished the monarchy and
declared a republic, although a de facto military regime emerged. In
1972, an aborted Hutu rebellion triggered the flight of hundreds of
thousands of Burundians. Civil unrest continued throughout the late
1960s and early 1970s.

In 1976, Col. Jean-Baptiste
Bagaza took power in a bloodless coup. Although Bagaza led a
Tutsi-dominated military regime, he encouraged land reform, electoral
reform, and national reconciliation. In 1981, a new constitution was
promulgated. In 1984, Bagaza was elected head of state, as the sole
candidate. After his election, Bagaza's human rights record
deteriorated as he suppressed religious activities and detained
political opposition members.

In 1987, Maj. Pierre Buyoya
overthrew Colonel Bagaza. He dissolved opposition parties, suspended
the 1981 constitution, and instituted his ruling Military Committee for
National Salvation (CSMN). During 1988, increasing tensions between the
ruling Tutsis and the majority Hutus resulted in violent confrontations
between the army, the Hutu opposition, and Tutsi hardliners. During
this period, an estimated 150,000 people were killed, with tens of
thousands of refugees flowing to neighboring countries. Buyoya formed a
commission to investigate the causes of the 1988 unrest and to develop
a charter for democratic reform.

In 1991, Buyoya approved a
constitution that provided for a president, multi-ethnic government,
and a parliament. Burundi's first Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye, of
the Hutu-dominated FRODEBU Party, was elected in 1993. He was
assassinated by factions of the Tutsi-dominated armed forces in October
1993. The country was then plunged into civil war, which killed tens of
thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands by the time the
FRODEBU government regained control and elected Cyprien Ntaryamira
president in January 1994. Nonetheless, the security situation
continued to deteriorate. In April 1994, President Ntayamira and
Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana died in a plane crash. This act
marked the beginning of the Rwandan genocide, while in Burundi, the
death of Ntaryamira exacerbated the violence and unrest. Sylvestre
Ntibantunganya was installed as president for a 4-year term on April 8,
but the security situation further deteriorated. The influx of hundreds
of thousands of Rwandan refugees and the activities of armed Hutu and
Tutsi groups further destabilized the regime.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
In
November 1995, the presidents of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zaire
announced a regional initiative for a negotiated peace in Burundi
facilitated by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere. In July 1996,
former Burundian President Buyoya returned to power in a bloodless
coup. He declared himself president of a transitional republic, even as
he suspended the National Assembly, banned opposition groups, and
imposed a nationwide curfew. Widespread condemnation of the coup
ensued, and regional countries imposed economic sanctions pending a
return to a constitutional government. Buyoya agreed in 1996 to
liberalize political parties. Nonetheless, fighting between the army
and Hutu militias continued. In June 1998, Buyoya promulgated a
transitional constitution and announced a partnership between the
government and the opposition-led National Assembly. After Facilitator
Julius Nyerere's death in October 1999, the regional leaders appointed
Nelson Mandela as Facilitator of the Arusha peace process. Under
Mandela the faltering peace process was revived, leading to the signing
of the Arusha Accords in August 2000 by representatives of the
principal Hutu (G-7) and Tutsi (G-10) political parties, the
government, and the National Assembly. However, the FDD and FNL armed
factions of the CNDD and Palipehutu G-7 parties refused to accept the
Arusha Accords, and the armed rebellion continued.

In November 2001, a 3-year
transitional government was established under the leadership of Pierre
Buyoya (representing the G-10) as transitional president and Domitien
Ndayizeye (representing the G-7) as transitional vice president for an
initial period of 18 months. In May 2003, Mr. Ndayizeye assumed the
presidency for 18 months with Alphonse Marie Kadege as vice president.
In October and November 2003 the Burundian government and the former
rebel group the CNDD-FDD signed cease-fire and power-sharing
agreements, and in March 2004 members of the CNDD-FDD took offices in
the government and parliament. The World Bank and other bilateral
donors have provided financing for Burundi’s disarmament,
demobilization, and reintegration program for former rebel combatants.

National and regional
mediation efforts failed to reach a compromise on post-transition
power-sharing arrangements between the predominantly Hutu and Tutsi
political parties, and in September 2004 over two-thirds of the
parliament-despite a boycott by the Tutsi parties-approved a
post-transition constitution. The Arusha Peace Agreement called for
local and national elections to be held before the conclusion of the
transitional period on October 31, 2004. On October 20, 2004, however,
a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate adopted a
previously approved draft constitution as an interim constitution that
provides for an extension of transitional institutions until elections
are held. A national referendum on the interim constitution as the
permanent post-transition constitution is scheduled for February 28,
2005. Under a schedule endorsed by a summit meeting of regional
leaders, local and national elections are tentatively planned to begin
in February 2005, and to end in April 2005.

Principal Government Officials
President--Domitien Ndayizeye
Vice President--Frederic Ngenzebuhoro
Speaker of the National Assembly--Jean Minani
President of the Senate--Libere Bararunyeretse
Minister of Defense--Vincent Niyungeko
Minister of External Relations and Cooperation--Therence Sinunguruza
Minister of Internal Affairs--Salvator Ntihabose
Ambassador to the United States--Antoine Ntamobwa
Ambassador to the United Nations--Marc Nteturuye

Burundi maintains an embassy
in the United States at Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington,
DC 20007 (tel. 202-342-2574).

ECONOMY
The
mainstay of the Burundian economy is agriculture, accounting for 47% of
GDP in 2003. Agriculture supports more than 90% of the labor force, the
majority of whom are subsistence farmers. Although Burundi is
potentially self-sufficient in food production, the civil war,
overpopulation, and soil erosion have contributed to the contraction of
the subsistence economy by 30% in recent years. Large numbers of
internally displaced persons have been unable to produce their own food
and are dependent on international humanitarian assistance. Burundi is
a net food importer, with food accounting for 13% of imports in 2003.

The main cash crop is
coffee, which accounted for some 50% of exports in 2003. This
dependence on coffee has increased Burundi's vulnerability to
fluctuations in seasonal yields and international coffee prices. Coffee
processing is the largest state-owned enterprise in terms of income.
Although the government has tried to attract private investment to this
sector, plans for the privatization of this sector have stalled.
Efforts to privatize other publicly held enterprises have likewise
stalled. Other principal exports include tea, sugar, and raw cotton.
Coffee production, after a severe drop in 2003, returned to normal
levels in 2004. Revenues from coffee production and exports are
likewise estimated to return to pre-2003 levels.

Little industry exists
except the processing of agricultural exports. Although potential
wealth in petroleum, nickel, copper, and other natural resources is
being explored, the uncertain security situation has prevented
meaningful investor interest. Industrial development also is hampered
by Burundi's distance from the sea and high transport costs. Lake
Tanganyika remains an important trading point. The trade embargo,
lifted in 1999, negatively impacted trade and industry.

Burundi is heavily
dependent on bilateral and multilateral aid, with external debt
totaling $1.2 billion in 2003. A series of largely unsuccessful 5-year
plans initiated in July 1986 in partnership with the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) attempted to reform the foreign
exchange system, liberalize imports, reduce restrictions on
international transactions, diversify exports, and reform the coffee
industry.

IMF structural adjustment
programs in Burundi were suspended following the outbreak of the crisis
in 1993; the IMF re-engaged Burundi in 2002 and 2003 with post-conflict
credits, and in 2004 approved a $104 million Poverty Reduction and
Growth Facility loan. The World Bank is preparing a Transition Support
Strategy, and has identified key areas for potential growth, including
the productivity of traditional crops and the introduction of new
exports, light manufactures, industrial mining, and services. Both the
IMF and the World Bank are assisting the Burundians to prepare a
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Serious economic problems include the
state's role in the economy, the question of governmental transparency,
and debt reduction.

Burundi was not eligible for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act in 2003.

To protest the 1996 coup by
President Buyoya, neighboring countries imposed an economic embargo on
Burundi. Although the embargo was never officially ratified by the UN
Security Council, most countries refrained from official trade with
Burundi. Following the 1996 coup, the United States suspended all but
humanitarian aid to Burundi. The regional embargo was lifted on January
23, 1999, based on progress by the government in advancing national
reconciliation through the Burundi peace process.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Burundi's
relations with its neighbors have often been affected by security
concerns. Hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees have at various
times crossed to neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians fled to
neighboring countries during the civil war. Most of them, more than
750,000 since 1993, are in Tanzania. The 1993 embargo placed on Burundi
by regional states negatively impacted its diplomatic relations with
its neighbors; relations have improved since the 1999 suspension of
these sanctions.

Burundi is a member of
various international and regional organizations, including the United
Nations, the World Trade Organization, the African Union, and the
African Development Bank, and became a member of COMESA, the
free-tariff zone of eastern and southern Africa, in 2004.

U.S.-BURUNDI RELATIONS
U.S.
government goals in Burundi are to help the people of Burundi realize a
just and lasting peace based upon democratic principles and sustainable
economic development. The United States encourages political stability,
democratic change, respect for human rights, and economic development
in Burundi. The United States supported the Arusha peace process, and
has supported the regional efforts to mediate post-transition
power-sharing negotiations between the Burundian political parties. In
the long term, the United States seeks to strengthen the process of
internal reconciliation and democratization within all the states of
the region to promote a stable, democratic community of nations that
will work toward mutual social, economic, and security interests on the
continent.

The United States provided
financial support for the peace process, including through our assessed
contributions to a UN peacekeeping force established in 2004. U.S.
bilateral aid, with the exception of humanitarian assistance, was ended
following the 1996 coup.

The State Department most recently issued a Travel Warning for Burundi in May 2004.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--James Yellin
Deputy Chief of Mission--Alex Laskaris
Economic Officer—Robert Marks
Political Officer—Christopher Leslie
Management Officer—Jack Ferguson
Consular Officers—Robert Marks and Christopher Leslie
Regional Security Officer—Daniel Mahanty
General Service Officer--Matthew Blong

The U.S. Embassy is located at Avenue des Etats Unis (Boite Postale 1720), Bujumbura (tel. [257] 22-34-54).

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The
U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.

Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political
disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements
are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free
copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of
Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are
available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov.
Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain
information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are
on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning
Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas
Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies,
Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

The National Passport Information Center
(NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT
(1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for
TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health
information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web
site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm

give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or
requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions
and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International
Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa
requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and
other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your
departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for
this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this
publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov
or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a
country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their
passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an
emergency.


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