Burundi, officially called the
Republic of Burundi (Kirundi:
Republika y'Uburundi, French:
République du Burundi) is a small country located in East
Africa, bordered by
Rwanda,
Tanzania, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Regarding Rwanda, Burundi might as well be called Rwanda's twin brother, what with them speaking the same language (Rwanda-Rundi) and being one and the same for centuries. The two were ruled by the same European masters (Imperial Germany and, after World War I, Belgium), suffered under the same rather arbitrary classification between their ethnic group (Hutus and Tutsis), retained their monarchies well throughout the colonial period until a few years after independence, and, unfortunately, had the same ethnic tensions plaguing the aforementioned Hutus and Tutsis.
As with Rwanda, ethnic conflict between Hutus and Tutsis caused a problem in the years after its independence from Belgium. The Tutsis ruled as a dominant minority despite numbering only 10%, which angered the dominant Hutus, who launched guerilla warfare in the frontier regions and pogroms directed against the Tutsis, who retaliated with their own pogroms. The pogroms never reached the same intensity as the full-scale genocide Rwanda suffered, although over twenty thousand people still lost their lives in the conflict. Eventually, the UN and the neighboring African countries' peacekeepers (most notably from South Africa) arrived and helped mediate a power-sharing agreement in order to give the Hutsus more representation. Remnants of the Hutu rebel groups still sometime commit terror attacks against the country, though. Recently, the country has come under fire for criminalizing homosexuality
.
Relevant works include:
The Burundian flag
The flag, divided by a white cross which symbolizes peace, consists of greens to the right and left, which represent the future and hope for progress, and reds in the upper and lower parts symbolizing the suffering the nation endured during the struggle for independence. The three hexagonal red stars at the center symbolize the three main ethnic groups of the country: the Hutus, Tutsis, and Twas (pygmies).
The Burundian national anthem
Burundi bwacu, Burundi buhire,
Shinga icumu mu mashinga,
Gaba intahe y'ubugabo ku bugingo.
Warapfunywe ntiwapfuye,
Warahabishijwe ntiwahababuka.
Uhagurukana, Uhagurukana, Uhagurukana ubugabo urikukira.
Komerwa amashi n'amakungu, uhabwe impundu n'abawe,
Isamirane mu mashinga, Isamirane mu mashinga.
Burundi bwacu, ragi rya ba sokuru,
Ramutswa intahe n'ibihugu,
Ufatanije ishaka n'ubuhizi;
Vuza impundu wiganzuye uwakuganza uwakuganza.
Burundi bwacu, mpora mutima kuri twese,
Tugutuye amaboko, umutima n'ubuzima,
Imana yakuduhaye ikudutungire.
Horana ubumwe n'abagabo n'itekane.
Sagwa n'urweze, sagwa n'amahoro meza.
—
Cher Burundi, ô doux pays,
Prends place dans le Concert des nations.
En tout bien, tout honneur, accédé à l'indépendance.
Reçois donc le compliment des nations,
Agrée l'hommage de tes enfants.
Qu'à travers l'univers retentisse ton nom.
Cher Burundi, héritage sacré de nos aïeux,
Reconnu digne de te gouverner
Au courage tu allies le sentiment de l'honneur.
Chante la gloire de ta liberté reconquise.
Cher Burundi, digne objet de notre plus tendre armour,
A ton noble service nous vouons nos bras, nos cœurs et nos vies.
Veuille Dieu, qui nous a fait don de toi, te conserver à notre vénération.
Sous l'egide de l'Unité,
Dans la paix, la joie et la prospérité.
—
Our Burundi, gentle country,
Take your place in the concert of nations,
Acceding to independence with honourable intentions.
Wounded and bruised, you have remained master of yourself.
When the hour came, you arose,
Lifting yourself proudly into the ranks of free peoples.
Receive, then, the congratulations of the nations
And the homage of your sons and daughters.
May your name ring out through the universe.
Our Burundi, sacred heritage from our forefathers,
Recognized as worthy of self-government,
With your courage you also have a sense of honour.
Sing the glory of liberty conquered again.
Our Burundi, worthy of our tenderest love,
We vow to your noble service our hands and hearts and lives.
May God, who gave you to us, keep you for us to venerate,
Under the shield of unity,
In peace, joy and prosperity.
Government
- Unitary dominant-party presidential constitutional republic
- President: Évariste Ndayishimiye
- Vice President: Prosper Bazombanza
- Prime Minister: Gervais Ndirakobuca
Miscellaneous
- Capital: Gitega
- Largest city: Bujumbura
- Population: 11,865,821
- Area: 27,834 km² (10,747 sq mi) (142nd)
- Currency: Burundian franc (FBu) (BIF)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: BI
- Country calling code: 257
- Highest point: Mount Heha (2684 m/8,806 ft) (82nd)
- Lowest point: Lake Tanganyika (772 m/2,533 ft) (76th)
