The current Burundi flag was adopted when the nation gained its independence from Belgium in the mid-20th century but has a history dating back to pre-colonial times.
Also, the Burundian flag has changed more than many other countries in Africa, but it has always been very similar to the historic flag of this country.
The flag consists of a white flavor that divides the background into alternating red and green areas. The center of the sugar merges into a white disk, on which there are three six solid red solid stars marked in green. The flag ratio was 2: 3 until September 27, 1982.
Green symbolizes hope, white symbolizes peace and red symbolizes those who have fallen in the struggle for independence. These three stars mean the three main ethnic groups of Burundi: Hutu, Twa, and Tutsi.
The three stars also stand for three elements of the national slogan: Unité, Travail, Progrès (“Unity, Work, Progress”), seen on the Burundian coat of arms
History
The first known Burundian symbol depicted a Karinda drum believed to preserve divine power in the country’s traditional religion.
The drum was a symbol of royal power in Burundi and remained on the flag only as long as a monarch had power over the nation. It was featured on the pre-Belgian flags of Burundi and the first flag used by the nation since independence in 1962. Its symbol instead of modern stars.
With the loss of monarchy, the Burundian flag was changed in 1966. The logo was removed from the flag to create a transition flag that was used for two days until a new flag was created.
The new flag featured a drum-free sorghum plant as its logo. This plant was chosen as the representative of the country due to its traditional importance in agriculture.
This flag was replaced with a modern flag in 1967 to use a design that better represents the people of the country. The Burundian flag has not changed since then and is still popular with the Burundian people
Meaning
There is a considerable meaning behind the Burundian flag. The first thing to evaluate is the three stars on the flag. These stars have many meanings.
The first means that they represent the three main ethnic groups of the nations: Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu. These three stars also symbolize the attributes of unity, work, and progress.
These three stars also show the loyalty of the citizens to the king, the country, and God.
The colors of the flag are also symbolic. The white color of the cross on the flag is a symbol of peace. Green is used to indicate hopes for future progress, while red means struggle and bloodshed to achieve the country’s independence.
Colors and Symbolism
The Burundian flag is a white flag that houses three red stars with green lines and divides the flag square into four equal parts. The upper and lower parts of this part are red, while the left and right parts of this part are green.
White passion represents peace, green areas represent hope for the future, and red areas represent the blood shed by the people of Burundi while fighting for their freedom. T
hese three stars represent the three ethnic groups that make up the majority of the Burundian population and the three sections of the national slogan.
Burundi Flag Color Codes
Burundi Flag facts
- The white diagonal cross on the Burundian flag is the spell.
- The previous flag was very similar to the modern flag used today. However, that flag had a 2: 3 ratio. The modern flag has a ratio of 3: 5.
Pictures of Burundi
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The Republic of Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in central Africa. Its capital is Gitga and its largest city is Bujumbura. Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region bordering Uganda, Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
Also, Burundi has a population of 11,891,000 and the official languages are French and English. The currency of this country is the Burundian franc.
Eighty-five percent of the population is Hutu and 14 percent is Tutsi. The percentage of Christians in Burundi estimated at 80 to 90% of the population, about 65% of whom are Roman Catholics. 5% of the population also believe in indigenous beliefs and between 2 and 5% are Muslims who live mostly in major cities.
Burundi gained independence in 1962. The country’s political system was initially monarchical, but a series of assassinations, coups, and general regional insecurity led to the establishment of a republic and a one-party system in 1966.
Ethnic cleansing conflicts, and finally two civil wars and genocides in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, hampered the country’s economic and social development, keeping it at one of the poorest countries in the world
History
From 1993 to 2006, Burundi embroiled in a civil war between Burundian rebels and army forces, the majority of whom were Tutsis. These ethnic conflicts at the time cost the lives of about 300,000 people.
Ten years later, “tens of thousands” of Tutsis and the moderate Otto were assassinated by Tutsi officers on October 21, 1993, after the assassination of President Malchivar Andaya.
He was the first president of the country to be elected four months before he was ousted in the country’s first democratic election. The ghost of genocide has overshadowed Rwanda’s neighboring country.
The Arusha Tanzania Peace Accords, signed in August 2000 between the government and 17 political parties, have been rejected by Tutsis members of the Self-Defense Forces Association (P A) as well as the Otto National Liberation Forces (F N L).
Also, The 3,000 “National Liberation Forces” insurgents, backed by religious backward movements and local Adventist churches, still have a strong hatred of the Tutsis, accusing them of plotting the Otto genocide. They have also claimed responsibility for the Gatumba massacre.
The August 13, 2004 massacre of 152 Congolese Tutsi refugees in the Gatumba camp near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo has caused renewed concern and panic.
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The international community hoped that the 2006 peace treaty would end ethnic violence in Burundi. But now the evidence shows the opposite. Evidence shows a resurgence of events such as genocide, and torture, kidnapping, sexual violence, and murder have risen, especially against the Tutsi people. The United Nations announced on January 15, 2016, that Burundi was in danger of igniting a civil war motivated by ethnicity.
Pierre Ankuronziza has been President of Burundi since 2005. The crisis in Burundi began after President Pierre Oncorunziza announced in April 2015 that he wanted to run for a third consecutive term. Protesters say his move is unconstitutional. The Burundian government has since resorted to violence to quell the protests.
In May 2015, a group of army generals was arrested for plotting a coup against the president. The coup took place at a time when the President of Burundi was traveling to Tanzania to attend the East African Summit. Earlier, Mr. Nekuronziza’s decision to run in the presidential election sparked widespread protests.
The protests also caused tens of thousands of people to flee Burundi. Pierre Ancorunziza will be Burundi president for the third time in a row if re-elected
Economy
Burundi is a landlocked country with poor resources and an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The country’s economy is mainly based on agriculture, which in 2017 accounted for 50% of GDP. More than 90% of the Burundian population is in agriculture.
Burundi’s main exports are coffee and tea, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings, although exports account for a relatively small share of GDP.
Other agricultural products include cotton, tea, corn, spiked corn, sweet potatoes, bananas, cassava; Beef, milk and leather.
Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a lack of access to open waters, bad laws, lack of economic freedom, lack of access to education and the spread of AIDS. About 80% of the Burundian population lives in poverty.
Famine and food shortages have occurred throughout Burundi, especially in the 20th century, and according to the World Food Program, 56.8% of children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition.
Burundi’s export earnings – and the country’s ability to pay for its imports – depend largely on weather conditions and the international price of coffee and tea.
People
The official languages of this country are Kirundi (national and official language) and French and English. The percentage of Christians in Burundi is about 80 to 90 percent of the population, about 65 percent of whom are Roman Catholics.
In July 2016, the United Nations estimated the population of Burundi at 10,524,117. The country had a population of only 2,456,000 in 1950.
Burundi’s population growth rate is 2.5 percent per year, which is more than twice the global average, and a Burundian woman has an average of 6.3 children, which is almost three times the international fertility rate. In 2012, Burundi had the fifth-highest fertility rate in the world.
Many Burundians have migrated to other countries as a result of the civil war. In 2006, the United States accepted about 10,000 Burundian refugees.
Burundi is a residual rural community with only 13% of its population living in cities in 2013.
The population density is about 425 people per square kilometer, which is the second-highest population density among sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 85% of the population are Hutu and 15% are Tutsi. Less than 1% of Burundians are indigenous.
Culture
In 2009, the adult literacy rate in Burundi estimated at 67% (73% male and 61% female). In 2015, this figure increased to 85.6% (88.2% men and 83.1% women).
Literacy among adult women has increased by 17% since 2002. Burundi has only one public university called the University of Burundi. There are also several museums in the country’s cities, such as the Burundian Geological Museum in Bojomorbora, the Burundian National Museum, and the Burundian Museum of Life in Gitta.
The country has a strong oral tradition that conveys historical events and life ideas through stories, poems, and songs. Imagine, Indirimbo, and Ivyivogo are literary styles in Burundi.
Because agriculture is a major industry, Burundi’s typical diet consists mostly of sweet potatoes, corn, and peas. Due to the cost, the meat is eaten only a few times a month.
When several close acquaintances come together, they usually eat a type of beer called “impeke” from a large bowl, which is a symbol of unity. Playing the drum is of particular importance in Burundian culture.
Geography
Burundi is one of the smallest countries on the African continent. The country has no access to open waters and has a tropical climate. Burundi is part of the Alberta, which extends west along the East African plateau. It is located on the hilly plateau of central Africa.
The average height of the central plateau is 1707 meters, the lower parts of which are located in the border areas. Also, the highest peak of the mountains is Haha, which is 2685 meters high and located southeast of Bujumbura.
The source of the Nile River is located in Burory County, which connects to the upstream waters of the Nile via Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria is also one of Burundi’s major water resources. Another major lake in the country is Lake Tanganyika, which covers most of the southwestern corner of Burundi.
Burundian lands are mostly agricultural or pastures. The rural population in this country has caused deforestation, soil erosion and habitat destruction. Deforestation across the country is almost entirely due to overpopulation.
There are only 600 square kilometers of forest left in the country, of which nine percent are lost annually. There are two national parks in the country, both of which established in 1982 to protect wildlife.
