Xaverians in Burundi

Burundi: Country Profile

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Burundi

Burundi is a country in eastern Africa, south of Rwanda, west of Tanzania, and east of Lake Tanganyika and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). It has an area of 10,747 sq. mi. Bujumbura is the capital and largest city.

The climate is tropical, moderated in most places by altitude. Savanna vegetation (grassland interspersed with trees) predominates in most of the country. Eucalyptus, acacia, and oil palm are the most common trees. The diverse wildlife is limited by dense human settlement and includes elephants, leopards, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, wild boars, antelope, monkeys, and flying lemurs. The principal mineral resources are peat, uranium, nickel, petroleum, tin, bastnasite, and gold.

The population of Burundi is 5,397,107 (1997 estimate). Most Burundians live in family groupings dispersed throughout the highlands, and villages are uncommon. The chief ethnic groups are the Hutu and the Tutsi, who traditionally made up 85 percent and 14 percent of the population, respectively. Because of the migrations, the politically dominant Tutsi now make up about 20 percent of the population. The Taw, a pygmy group, account for 1 percent.

Burundi's official languages are Kirundi and French. Swahili is also widely spoken along Lake Tanganyika. About two-thirds of the people are Christian, chiefly Roman Catholic, and about one-third adhere to traditional beliefs, which are based on belief in a spirit world and a single abstract god, Imana. About 1 percent are Muslim. Education is free and compulsory for children aged 7 through 13.

One of the world's poorest nations, Burundi has a predominantly agricultural economy. Subsistence agriculture is the main means of livelihood. Chief food crops are sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas, beans, and maize. The most important cash crop is coffee. Mining includes the small-scale exploitation of gold and peat. Manufacturing is limited to processing agricultural products, particularly coffee, and producing consumer goods such as cigarettes, soap, glass, blankets, and cement. The unit of currency is the Burundi franc.

Service, mission, work, news, and presence of the Xaverian Missionaries in Burundi