The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

BURUNDI

The Republic of Burundi is a country in east Africa. It has a total area of 27,830 km2. The climate is temperate, warm with the occasional frost in the uplands. The terrain is mostly rolling to hilly highland with some plains. Natural resources are nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited) and vanadium The religion is about 67% Christian (62% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant), 32% indigenous beliefs and 1% Muslim. The official language is French with Kirundi and Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) also being spoken. Burundi was originally inhabited by Twa pygmies, but during the 13th century was overrun by Bantu Hutus. From the 15th century until 1890 the land was ruled by the Tutsi and was known as Urundi. In 1890 the country became part of German East africa, and following the Great War a Belgian territory, later becoming an independent kingdom in 1962 and in 1966 when the king was deposed, a republic.
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