Barundi

Barundi

 

a people, the main inhabitants of the Republic of Burundi. The Barundi also live in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. Their language is Kirundi (Bantu family). Their total number is about 4.5 million (1967 estimate). Most of them are Christian, although some adhere to traditional beliefs. Their principal occupations are livestock raising and farming. The seasonal migration of farm workers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania is common. An independent feudal kingdom of Burundi flourished among the Barundi in the 19th century (until 1903).

REFERENCES

Simons, E. Coutumes et institutions des Barundi. Elisabethville, 1944.
Karpushina, V. Ia. Burundi. Moscow, 1965.