Burundi
Republic of Burundi
Local name: Uburundi
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- Capital
- Gitega
- Population
- 14.4 million
- 77th in the world (2025)
- Area
- 27,834 km²
- 142nd in the world
- Density
- 517 people/km²
- 15th in the world
In brief
Burundi is a country in East Africa. Its capital is Gitega. Political capital since 2019; Bujumbura remains the economic capital. With 14.4 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 77th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 27,834 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.
GDP per capita stands at $234 (2025), 193rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 63.8 years (2024). 26% of the population lives in cities.
History of Burundi
The Kingdom of Burundi took shape from the 17th century around a king, the mwami. Attached to German East Africa at the end of the 19th century, it came under Belgian administration after the First World War. Independent on 1 July 1962, first as a monarchy and then as a republic from 1966, the country has been marked by violence between Hutus and Tutsis, notably in 1972 and during the civil war of 1993-2005. The Arusha Agreement (2000) laid the basis for power-sharing. Gitega has been the political capital since 2019.
Geography of Burundi
A small landlocked country at the heart of the Great Lakes region, Burundi borders Lake Tanganyika. It is a land of hills and high plateaus, one of the most densely populated in Africa. It claims one of the southernmost sources of the Nile.
Map of Burundi
Flag of Burundi
The flag of Burundi is red, white and green. Its official proportions are 3:5 (height to width).
- Green35%
- White34%
- Red31%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
A white saltire divides red and green triangles; in the centre, a white disc holds three red stars edged in green. They refer to the national motto, “Unity, Work, Progress”, and are often linked to the country’s three peoples, Hutu, Tutsi and Twa.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Burundi” and “Flag of Burundi”.
See also: flags with a cross, flags with a star.
Download the flag (SVG) All 12 red, white and green flags All the flags of the world
Fact file
| Official name | Republic of Burundi |
|---|---|
| Capital | Gitega Political capital since 2019; Bujumbura remains the economic capital. |
| Official languages | French, Rundi |
| Currency | Burundian franc (BIF, Fr) |
| Demonym | Burundian |
| Continent | Africa, East Africa |
| Access to the sea | No, landlocked |
| Area | 27,834 km² |
| Calling code | +257 |
| Internet domain | .bi |
| UN status | Member state |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
$234
193rd in the world (2025)
Life expectancy
63.8 years
at birth (2024)
Urban population
26%
Sources: World Bank (2025) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.