Geography of Burundi
Location: | Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Geographic coordinates: | 3 30 S, 30 00 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 27,830 sq km land: 25,650 sq km water: 2,180 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maryland |
Land boundaries: | total: 974 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January) |
Terrain: | hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m highest point: Heha 2,670 m |
Natural resources: | nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone |
Land use: | arable land: 35.57% permanent crops: 13.12% other: 51.31% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 210 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | flooding, landslides, drought |
Environment - current issues: | soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile |