Rwanda vs. Burundi
Geography
| Rwanda | Burundi | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi | Central Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania |
| Geographic coordinates | 2 00 S, 30 00 E | 3 30 S, 30 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 26,338 sq km land: 24,668 sq km water: 1,670 sq km | total: 27,830 sq km land: 25,680 sq km water: 2,150 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land boundaries | total: 930 km border countries (4): Burundi 315 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 221 km, Tanzania 222 km, Uganda 172 km | total: 1,140 km border countries (3): Democratic Republic of the Congo 236 km, Rwanda 315 km, Tanzania 589 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible | 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 Celsius 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 | mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east | hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Volcan Karisimbi 4,519 m lowest point: Rusizi River 950 m mean elevation: 1,598 m | highest point: Heha 2,670 m lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m mean elevation: 1,504 m |
| Natural resources | gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land | nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone |
| Land use | agricultural land: 74.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 47% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.) forest: 18% (2018 est.) other: 7.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 73.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 38.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.8% (2018 est.) forest: 6.6% (2018 est.) other: 20.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 96 sq km (2012) | 230 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga Mountains are in the northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo volcanism: Visoke (3,711 m), located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the country's only historically active volcano | flooding; landslides; drought |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation results from uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel; overgrazing; land degradation; soil erosion; a decline in soil fertility (soil exhaustion); wetland degradation and loss of biodiversity; widespread poaching | 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, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | landlocked; most of the country is intensively cultivated and rugged with the population predominantly rural | landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile |
| Total renewable water resources | 13.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 12.536 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | one of Africa's most densely populated countries; large concentrations tend to be in the central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west as shown in this population distribution map | one of Africa's most densely populated countries; concentrations tend to be in the north and along the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in the west; most people live on farms near areas of fertile volcanic soil as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
