ng the conflict that spanned almost a dozen
years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced
or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally
brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated
government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a
transition process that led to an integrated defense force,
established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu
government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre
NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the
country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many
challenges.

Geography
Burundi

Location:

Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:

3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 27,830 sq km
land: 25,650 sq km
water: 2,180 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 974 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda
290 km, Tanzania 451 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m
to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with
altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate
as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is
about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to
November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to
January)

Terrain:

hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Heha 2,670 m

Natural resources:

nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum,
vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin,
tungsten, kaolin, limestone

Land use:

arable land: 35.57%
permanent crops: 13.12%
other: 51.31% (2005)

Irrigated land:

210 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

3.6 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.29 cu km/yr (17%/6%/77%)
per capita: 38 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

flooding, landslides, drought

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of
agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested