Hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains
Equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
Population: 10,395,931 (July 2014 est.) Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AID
Languages: Kirundi 29.7% (official), Kirundi and other language 9.1%, French (official) and other language 0.3%, Swahili and other language 0.2% (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area), English and other language 0.06%, more than 2 languages 3.7%, unspecified 56.9% (2008 est.)
Catholic 62.1%, Protestant 23.9% (includes Adventist 2.3% and other Protestant 21.6%), Muslim 2.5%, other 3.6%, unspecified 7.9% (2008 est.)
Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural; agriculture accounts for just over 30% of GDP and employs more than 90% of the population. Burundi's primary exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, though exports are a relatively small share of GDP.
Traditional huts were made from reeds and canes. The tradition has given way in rural areas to houses of mud brick with thatched or tin roofs. Some are cylindrical in shape, and the mud walls may be whitewashed. In towns, houses built of hollow concrete blocks with galvanized iron or clay tile roofs are common. Warfare has greatly affected living conditions in Burundi. People have been killed, homes have been burned, and cattle have been destroyed. Great numbers of people have become homeless.
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