Burundi - Burundi

Burundi is a small nation ofEast Africa which adjoins the Rwanda to the north, with the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and with the Tanzania to the south and east.

To know

The Burundi is located in the geographic region of the great lakes, often referred to as "the heart ofAfrica", especially for its location and for the art of its population. It has a myriad of lakes and several beautiful hilly sceneries.

Geographical notes

Burundi is located in the Great Lakes region. The entire territory of the country consists of a plateau, with an average altitude of 1700 m. The highest point is Mount Karonje (2685 m), located southeast of the capital. To the south and southeast the edges of the plateau descend to about 1300 m. The only area located less than 1000m above sea level is a strip of land around the Ruzizi River (north of Lake Tanganyika), which forms the Albertine Rift, the western offshoot of the Great Rift Valley.

The hydrography of the country is characterized by its belonging to two large basins, that of the Congo and that of the Nile. The north-central part of the plateau is part of the Nile basin through the Ruvubu river (sometimes called Ruvuvu) which for a stretch marks the border between Burundi and Tanzania to then flow into the Kagera river which in turn, after more than 600 km of travel, flows into Lake Victoria. The Ruvubu, and in particular its main tributary, the Ruvironza, is considered one of the sources of the Nile.The rest of the country pours its waters into Lake Tanganyika which feeds, through its Lgukua outlet, the Lualaba River, the initial stretch of the Congo . To the south, the border with Tanzania is bordered by the Malagarasi River, while to the north a stretch of the border with Rwanda is the Kanyaru River, further east, still on the border with Rwanda, are the Cohoha and Rweru lakes.

When to go

To choose when to visit the country it is advisable to keep in mind that the climate of Burundi is of a tropical type, however, mitigated by both the altitude and the influence of Lake Tanganyika, in fact the average annual temperature in the capital is rather constant and around 24 ° C. Moving away from the lake there are average temperatures from 5 to 10 ° C lower. Precipitation is more abundant on the eastern plateau while near the lake and in the Ruzizi valley it decreases and there is a drier season from October to March.

Background

Inhabited since the earliest times, it experienced the first German colonization, when in 1884 the Germany occupied both Burundi and the Rwanda, then Belgian, when the Belgium occupied the same territories. It was a glorious kingdom, founded around 1680, and gained independence from the European colonizers on July 1, 1962, becoming a constitutional monarchy. Exactly four years later, on 1 July 1966, the monarchy was suppressed in favor of the birth of the current republic.

The social tensions created and amplified by the Belgians between the Batutsi, Bahutu and Batwa ethnic groups have not found a solution to date, and in 1972 they culminated in one of the most heinous genocides that the African continent remembers, in which 400,000 people died and 500,000 refugees were forced to leave the country. The massacre is remembered under the name of ikiza, the catastrophe.

In 1976, 1987 and 1993 there were three more coups, demonstrating the actual and continuing instability of the country.

Spoken languages

Kirundi, one of the two official languages ​​of Burundi, is a Bantu, very similar to Kinyarwanda and is spoken by all Burundians, regardless of their social background. It is also spoken in the Bugufi, today the region of Tanzania. TO Bujumbura Swahili is also spoken as a commercial language.

Suggested readings

• Kristina Bentley and Roger Southall, "An African Peace Process: Mandela, South Africa, and Burundi"
• Patricia Daley, "Gender and Genocide in Burundi: The Search for Spaces of Peace in the Great Lakes Region"
• Rene Lemarchand, "Burundi: Ethnic Conflict and Genocide"
• Thomas Patrick Melady, "Burundi: The Tragic Years"
• Nigel Watt, "Burundi: The Biography of a Small African Country"

Territories and tourist destinations

Burundi is divided into 17 provinces which are in turn divided into 117 municipalities, which in turn are subdivided into 2,639 additional administrative entities, called "hills" (imisozi).

Urban centers

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

Valid passport and visa. The visa can be obtained at the Embassy of Burundi in Rome, a photo ID, a completed form, the return ticket, the vaccination against yellow fever and the contribution of 50 euros are required for a visa valid for one month (release time 5 working days).

By plane

The only international airport is Bujumbura International Airport which is served by: Kenya Airways and Fly 540 (Nairobi), Rwandair Express (Kigali, Johannesburg), Ethiopian (Addis Ababa), Brussels Airlines (Brussels), South Africa Airlines and Ugandan Airlines.

On boat

It is possible to take a ferry across Lake Tanganyika although it does not operate a regular service.

How to get around

By bus

Around the central market of Bujumbura several buses are available to reach various destinations.

What see

• National Museum of Gitega - The museum is located in Gitega, and is one of the largest museums in the country. Inside you can admire some objects dating back to the Burundian monarchy and the history of the country.
• Livingstone and Stanley stone - Monument which is located twelve kilometers from Bujumbura. It is possible to admire the stone where Livingstone and Stanley landed in the company of Tanganyika lake.

What to do

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Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Burundian franc (BIF).

There East African Community (East African Community - EAC), an African economic community to which the following states belong: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi is Rwanda, has as its intent the introduction of a single currency, scheduled for 2023. The coin will be called East African shilling.
Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD

At the table

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Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

National holidays

Although Islam is a minority religion for Burundi, in 2005 it was decided to recognize and observe its holidays.

Safety

Before embarking on the journey consult:

• Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information). 

Bathing in lakes and rivers could be dangerous as they are infested with crocodiles and hippos.

Health situation

The sanitary facilities are of very low quality. The most common diseases are malaria and meningitis. Running water should be boiled, even if it could be drinkable, and the vegetables should be washed and sterilized.

Respect the customs

Respect for the elderly in particular and for older people in general is deeply rooted in the local culture.

How to keep in touch

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Burundi
• Commons contains images or other files on Burundi
• Wikinews contains current news on Burundi