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Burundi is a landlocked country
in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to
the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its size is just
under 28,000 km² with an estimated population of almost 8,700,000. Its capital is
Bujumbura. Although the country is landlocked, much of the southwestern border is
adjacent to Lake Tanganyika.
The Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu peoples have occupied Burundi since the country's formation
five centuries ago. Burundi was ruled as a kingdom by the Tutsi for over two hundred
years. However, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Germany and Belgium occupied
the region, and Burundi and Rwanda became a European colony known as Ruanda-Urundi.
Burundi is an ideal tourist destination for nature lovers. The rich flora and fauna of
the country attracts the tourist in no time. There are a number of natural reserves and
parks in Burundi to protect the wild life.
One of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi is landlockedand has an equatorial climate.
Burundi is a part of the Albertine Rift, the western extension of the Great Rift Valley.
The country lies on a rolling plateau in the center of Africa. The average elevation of the
central plateau is 5,600 feet (1,707 m), with lower elevations at the borders. The highest
peak, Mount Hehaat 8,810 feet (2,685 m), lies to the southeast of the capital, Bujumbura.
The Nile is a major river in Burundi. Lake Victoria is also an important water source, which
serves as a fork to the Kagera River. Another major lake is Lake Tanganyika, located in
much of Burundi's southwestern corner.
The Kibira National Park is a national park in northwestern Burundi. Overlapping four
provinces and covering 400 km². Kibira National Park lies atop the mountains of the
Congo-Nile divide. It extends north from the provincial town of Muramvya to the border
of Rwanda where it is contiguous with the Nyungwe National Park.
The forest contains areas of montane bog and bamboo stands. The Kibira is home to a number
of primate species, including chimpanzees and black and white colobus monkeys, and boasts
over 250 species of birds, including the majestic Great Blue Turaco.
Rusizi National Parkis the most popular and sought after Burundi tourist attraction. Rusizi
National Park in Burundi is commonly known as Parc National de la Rusizi and is situated in
the north-west of Bujumbura. The park is divided into two parts; the larger part lies on the
eastern bank of Rusizi River whereas the smaller part forms the delta of Rusizi at the
entrance point of Lake Tanganyika.
Tourists will enjoy a lot in this park as they can explore various unique species of flora
and fauna and the environment also supports the existence of these unique species. Wildlife
species in Rusizi National Park include hippopotamus, antelopes and monkeys along with numerous
species of colorful birds.
Ruvubu National Park is the largest national park in Burundi covering 508km2.
Ruvubu National Park covers a significant amount of land of about 1.5-10kms on both sides of
the Ruvubu River on the eastern coast of Burundi. The Ruvubu National Park was set up in the
year 1980 and covers about 500 square kilometers of area. The Ruvubu National Park of Burundi
is the homeland of some of the most striking wildlife animals and species of flowers. All
these natural beauties make Ruvubu National Park standout among all the other Burundi
tourist attractions.
Wildlife in the Ruvubu National Park consists of animals like hippopotamus, buffalo,
crocodiles, leopard, monkeys, antelope and lion. Bird lovers will have a marvelous time
in the Ruvubu National Park as more than 425 species of birds thrive in this park making
it all the more attractive.
The Natural reserve of Bururi is a 3300 ha expanse of altitude damp forest.
In this place there are about 117 different species of birds and 25 different species of
mammals have been identified in a forestland surrounding of multifarious vegetation. On a
walking circuit along the botanical lanes and trails of this forest the visitor will fully
enjoy the wild coolness of our mountains densely covered with trees of many different species.
This region is only 33 km distant from Roumonge. The road through it will drive you from the
lakes along miles of hallucinating and breathtaking panoramas
Lake Tanganyika is regarded as the second largest and second deepest freshwater lake in the
world after Siberia’s Lake Baikal.
Situated amidst the natural beauties of the Great Rift
Valley of Africa, the lake joins the Congo River followed by the Atlantic Ocean. Burundi,
Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia-all the four countries enjoy some parts
of Lake Tanganyika. Spread over a massive area of 32,900 square kilometers, the grand
lake is encompassed by high mountains from all sides.
Rwihinda Lake Natural Reserve is situated in the north of the country. The natural reserve
is quite close to the town of Kirundo near the Rwandan border. Lake Rwihinda Nature Reserve
was previously known as Lac aux Oiseaux which means Bird Lake. The lake covers 425 ha area.
However the total protected area cover around 8,000 ha.
It is an ideal place for bird watching. Several birds like Zambezian Biome, Falco Naumanni,
Ardeola Idea, Gallinago Media, Circus Macrourus,Guinea-Congo Forests Biome and Afrotropical
Highlands Biome can be found here. Except than these birds you can find a number of other
species such as White-collared Oliveback, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Red-chested
Sunbird, Sharpe's Pied-babbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, White-winged Scrub-warbler,
Carruthers's Cisticola, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-faced Barbet and Ring-necked Francolin.
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