Burundi

A landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and East Africa, Burundi is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, Lake Tanganyika to the southwest, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

Gitega is the capital.

Rundi (Kirundi) and French are the official languages.

Population, 13,277,704. Size, 27,834 km^2.

The Burundi Franc (BIF) is the official currency.

The religions of Burundi are Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 32%, Muslim 1%.

Major cities include Bujumbura, Muyinga, Ruyigi, and Ngozi.

Boko Boko is the national dish of Burundi. It is a sort of porridge made from shredded meat, bulghur wheat or cracked wheat (as is used in Tabbouleh), and spices. Principal crops include bananas, cassava, sorghum, rice, maize, and millet.

The climate in Burundi is very warm and has few truly tropical and sticky months. It is warm or hot yearlong. Due to less rain, the best time for traveling is from June to August. Most precipitation falls from October to January.

The country’s motto, “Ubumwe, Ibikorwa, Iterambere” means “Unity, Work, Progress” in Kirundi. Sadly, Burundi was ranked as the world’s least happy nation in the 2016 World Happiness Report. HIV/AIDS is also a major threat to the population of the country. Group jogging is banned in Burundi. In 2014, the country’s president banned the activity, citing the reason that such walks can help people plan subversive (anti-government) activities. Protein and fat intake in the population of Burundi is very limited. As a result of it, a disease known as kwashiorkor is common. Beer, which is an important part of social interactions, is drunk through straws. Ninety percent of the population is employed in agriculture. Burundi is the third most densely populated country in Africa.