BURUNDI - THE RHYTHM OF COFFEE

Burundi is a small and beautiful landlocked country at the crossroads of East and Central Africa, straddling the crest of the Nile-Congo watershed. Sandwiched between Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, Burundi has magnificent views over Lake Tanganyika which provides much of its western border.

This is a country dominated by hills and mountains, with considerable altitude variation. The lowest point in the country is 772 m at Lake Tanganyika, while the highest soars to 2,670 m above sea level at the tip of Mount Heha.

Burundi was colonised by the Germans at the end of the 19th Century, mandated to Belgium by the League of Nations after World War I, and then achieved independence in 1962.

Despite its size, Burundi is densely populated with a total population of around 6.5 million people (an average of around 180 people per square kilometre).

Burundi’s economy is predominantly agricultural, with 86% of the workforce employed in the sector. Coffee, the main commercial crop, accounts for two thirds of export income. Other cash crops include tea, cotton, tobacco and palm oil. A large percentage of the population relies on subsistence crops like cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, maize and sorghum.

Burundi has a rich musical heritage, particularly in the area of percussion. Drummers from Burundi are world famous, and the country’s main coffee export is called Ngoma, which means Drum.