Burundi

American  

[boo-roon-dee] / bʊˈrʊn di /

noun

1. a republic in central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: formerly the southern part of the Belgian trust territory of Ruanda-Urundi; gained independence on July 1, 1962. 10,747 sq. mi. (27,834 sq. km). Bujumbura.

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Burundi British  

/ bəˈrʊndɪ /

noun

1. Former name (until 1962): Urundi.  a republic in E central Africa: inhabited chiefly by the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa (Pygmy); made part of German East Africa in 1899; part of the Belgian territory of Ruanda-Urundi from 1923 until it became independent in 1962; ethnic violence has erupted at times between Hutu and Tutsi, as in Rwanda; consists mainly of high plateaus along the main Nile-Congo dividing range, dropping rapidly to the Great Rift Valley in the west. Official languages: Kirundi and French. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Burundi franc. Capital: Bujumbura. Pop: 10 888 321 (2013 est). Area: 27 731 sq km (10 707 sq miles)

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Burundi Cultural  

1. Nation in Central Africa, bordered by Rwanda on the north, Democratic Republic of Congo on the west, and Tanzania on the east and south. Its capital is Bujumbura. It achieved independence in 1962. It has been torn by ethnic conflict between Tutsis and Hutus.

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Other Word Forms

• Burundian adjective

Example Sentences

KoBold, meanwhile, is in the process of digitizing archives at the University of Lubumbashi in Congo and has signed an agreement to also digitize documents for neighboring Burundi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Canada’s Fraser Institute assesses that Algeria is among the most unfree countries in the world, ranking below Libya and just above Burundi on Fraser’s index of human freedom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

"I feel the safest I've ever been," said Liberty Mini, a 33-year-old interior decorator originally from Burundi, who has lived in Lagos for three years.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

Just days after the signing, the M23 group launched a new offensive, targeting the strategic city of Uvira on the border with the DRC's military ally Burundi.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

The field stretched along a highway that ran from Burundi to Congo, and cars whizzed by us as we lay in the dirt.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana