Burundi officially the Republic
of Burundi, is a small country in
the Great Lakes region of Africa. It is
bordered by Rwanda on the
north, Tanzania
on the south and east, and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west.
Geographically isolated, facing population pressures and having sparse
resources, Burundi
has the lowest GDP per capita in the world, arguably making it the poorest
country on the planet. One scientific study of 178 nations rated Burundi's
population as having the lowest satisfaction with life of all.
Burundi refugee
camp-feeding the younger brother
1.HISTORY
The earliest
inhabitants of the area were the pygmoid Twa. They were largely
replaced and absorbed by Bantu (Hutu) tribes during Bantu migrations.
TWA FAMILY
Burundi existed as an
independent kingdom
from the sixteenth century
2.POLITICS
The politics of Burundi take place in a framework
of a transitional presidential representative
democratic republic , whereby the President of
Burundi is both head of state and head of government ,
and of a multi party sistem Executive
power is exercised by the government. Legislative
power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Senate and theNational Assembly
Burundi is the poorest
country in the world, in terms of GDP per capita: US$90 as of 2007.
The economy is supported by foreign aid from Western Europe
and other parts of the world. In 2000 this amount reached US$92.7 million.
68% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2002. The country's
estimated gross domestic product (GDP) was US$700 million in 2001. According to
the World Food Programme, the majority
of children aged under 5 (56.8%) suffer from chronic malnutrition
4.CULTURE
The culture of Burundi is
based on local tradition and the influence of its neighbors, though its
prominence has been hindered by the civil
unrest. Most Burundians live in rural areas as extended families in
hilltop compounds called rugos. Arranged
marriages are not uncommon, with the grooms family sometimes paying a
bride
price. City residents often take a siesta, and most
businesses will be closed in the early afternoon.
