Discovering Burundi – “The Switzerland of Africa”
Burundi is a tiny landlocked country of 8.5 million people located in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa. It’s bounded by Tanzania to the east and south, Rwanda to the north and DR Congo to the west. It has a size of just less than 28,000 sq km with an estimated population of about 8,700,000 people.
Geographically, Burundi is part of the Albertine Rift, the western extension of the Great Rift Valley. The country lies on a rolling plateau in the centre of Africa. The major part of the country is covered by mountains (over 2,000 ft. above sea level), lakes, tropical jungles (about 30% of the land) and rivers. The sub-Saharan African republic is completely encircled by Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). It is about the size of Belgium.
The average elevation of the central plateau is 1,707m, with lower elevations at the borders. The highest peak, Mount Heha at 2,685 m, lies to the southeast of Bujumbura.
Burundi experienced unrest similar to that of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide and also managed to quell other uprisings in 2005 following the first ever-democratic elections, though suspicions are still rife among the various groups constituting the government and rebel forces.
The capital city is Bujumbura. The city is thronging on the shore of the lake Tanganyika which is geographically the western border of the country. It is a popular attraction for enthusiasts of skiing, sailing, fishing and many other activities.
Burundi travel leads you to a country endowed with some of nature’s most preferred equatorial climatic conditions predicted to be brought by Lake Tanganyika on the southwestern border.
Burundi boasts some of nature’s best-kept secrets from which it has derived its unique identity as “The Switzerland of Africa“. These include rare flora and fauna, good soils that have sustained its primary sector agriculture plus the amazing Mount Heha.
Wildlife of Burundi
Burundi is home to an astonishing array of Wild animals and birdlife. The country has established national parks in four main regions; Rusizi National Park, Kigwena-Rumonge Forest National Park, The Congo-Nile Ridge Park, Mwishanga Forest National Park and the Kibira Forest National park so popular for its gorilla population. The game population of these national parks is impressive, although the activities of poachers have led to a considerable decrease in recent years – elephants and rhinos being the worst affected species.
Despite these mishaps, the national parks have continued to enhance the country’s natural beauty to the delight of nature lovers, safari travellers, researchers and environmentalists.
The dry season offers the perfect time for Burundi safaris. Take a 4-wheel-drive vehicle and come for a lifetime trip where you are assured to spot some of Africa’s rare wildlife species.
The other major attraction in Burundi is the Chutes De Boali that has a series of spectacular waterfalls.