III.

Population

The population of Burundi (2007 estimate) is 8,390,505. The overall density of 327 persons per sq km (847 per sq mi) is one of the highest in Africa. The population is 89 percent rural. Most Burundians live in family groupings dispersed throughout the highlands, and villages are uncommon. Instability due to violence between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in both Burundi and Rwanda has led to mass migrations. Most Hutu have fled Bujumbura and some have gone to Rwanda. Thousands of persecuted Rwandan Tutsi have crossed into Burundi. Burundi’s life expectancy at birth is 51 years, among the lowest in the world, due to poverty, ethnic strife, and numerous diseases, including one of the highest incidences of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the world. The population growth rate in 2007 was an estimated 3.6 percent. The country’s capital and most important city is Bujumbura, on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.

A.

Ethnic Groups and Languages

The chief ethnic groups are the Hutu and the Tutsi, who have traditionally comprised 85 percent and 14 percent of the population, respectively. The Twa, a pygmy group, account for 1 percent. The official languages are Kirundi and French. Swahili is also widely spoken along Lake Tanganyika.

B.

Religion

About two-thirds of the population is Christian, chiefly Roman Catholic, and 32 percent adhere to traditional beliefs, which are based on belief in a spirit world and a single abstract god, Imana. About 1 percent are Muslims.

C.

Education

Primary education is free and officially compulsory for children aged 7 through 12, although in 2002–2003 only 77 percent of primary school-age children were in school. Secondary school enrollment was even lower, with 11 percent of secondary school-age children attending school. The literacy rate for Burundi is 54 percent of the population. Attendance and literacy rates are very low due to national instability and shortages of teachers and school supplies. The University of Burundi (founded in 1960) in Bujumbura is the leading institution of higher education.

D.

Way of Life

Most Burundians live in self-contained compounds of small round grass huts scattered over the country’s many hills. The rugo, the traditional Tutsi hut, is divided into sections and surrounded by an enclosure and cattle corrals. Families farm scattered plots of land on different soils at different altitudes to minimize crop failure. The floors of valleys are avoided due to higher temperatures and tsetse fly infestation. Social roles are largely determined by ethnicity, with the Tutsi as herders, the Hutu as peasant farmers, and the Twa as hunter-gatherers. Family life is central in all groups. Traditionally, the principal goal in life has been parenthood. Women traditionally dress in brightly colored wraps, and men in white. However, many have adopted Western clothes. The Burundian diet consists mainly of sweet potatoes and beans, with bananas, cassava, corn, peas, millet, and fruits added in season. Cattle are herded as signs of wealth and status rather than for their value as food. Meat is consumed by most Burundians only about once or twice a month. Fish is eaten more frequently. Gourds are grown for use as containers. Beer and milk are common beverages. Pastimes include soccer, poetry recitation, storytelling, and mancala, a board game common throughout Africa.

E.

Social Issues

Hutu-Tutsi ethnic rivalry has been the dominant feature of Burundian society since independence. This severe and often violent problem is compounded by poverty, high unemployment, overcrowding, environmental stress, and the high incidence of AIDS. Crime is high in and around Bujumbura.