administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: 13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a
plural political system
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and
customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA (acting president
from 8 April 1994 to 30 September 1994, president since 1 October
1994); note - NTIBANTUNGANYA, in his capacity as President of the
National Assembly, became acting president upon the death of
President Cyprien NTARYAMIRE in an airplane crash on 6 April 1994;
NTIBANTUNGANYA was sworn in on 1 October 1994 as president by the
"Convention on Government" to serve a four year transitional term
head of government: Prime Minister Antoine NDUWAYO (since February
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): election last held 29 June 1993 (next to be held NA); results - FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats - (81 total) FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16; other parties won too small shares of the vote to win seats in the assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Unity for National Progress (UPRONA); Burundi Democratic Front (FRODEBU); Organization of the People of Burundi (RBP); Socialist Party of Burundi (PSB); People's Reconciliation Party (PRP); opposition parties, legalized in March 1992, include Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation (ABASA); Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES); and Party for National Redress (PARENA)
Other political or pressure groups: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Severin NTAHOMVUKIYE chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342–2574
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles YELLIN embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] (2) 23454 FAX: [257] (2) 22926
Flag: divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below)
Economy———
Economic overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development. The economy is predominately agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop, which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports therefore rests largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market. As part of its economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with IMF and World Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its agricultural exports, attract foreign investment in industry, and modernize government budgetary practices. Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 100,000 persons and the displacement of a million others; production has fallen sharply, and an impoverished and disorganized government can hardly implement these needed reform programs.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.7% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $600 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 54.1% industry: 16.8% services: 29.1% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1993 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million (1983 est.) by occupation: agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%, services 1.5%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $318 million
expenditures: $326 million, including capital expenditures of $150
million (1991 est.)
Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: capacity: 55,000 kW production: 100 million kWh consumption per capita: 20 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc; meat, milk, hides
Exports: $68 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides partners: EC 57%, US 19%, Asia 1%
Imports: $203 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: capital goods 31%, petroleum products 15%, foodstuffs,
consumer goods
partners: EC 45%, Asia 29%, US 2%
External debt: $1.05 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 268.13 (November 1995), 252.66 (1994), 242.78 (1993), 208.30 (1992), 181.51 (1991), 171.26 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation———————
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 14,473 km paved: 1,028 km unpaved: 13,445 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: Lake Tanganyika
Ports: Bujumbura
Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)
Communications———————
Telephones: 7,200 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: primitive system domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 4,500 (1993 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Army (includes naval and air units), paramilitary
Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15–49: 1,312,458 males fit for military service: 683,073 males reach military age (16) annually: 67,990 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $25 million, 2.6% of GDP (1993)
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@Cambodia————
Map—
Location: