Burundi
National Atlases
The national atlas tradition of Burundi is represented in this gallery by a single, yet significant, volume: the *Atlas of Burundi*, published in 1979 under the auspices of the Association pour l’atlas du Burundi. This work emerged during a period when many newly independent African nations sought to consolidate their geographical identity through comprehensive national cartography. The atlas, compiled in French, reflects a collaborative effort to document the country’s physical landscape, administrative divisions, and socio-economic conditions at a moment of post-colonial nation-building. Its editorial structure follows the classic thematic atlas model—combining topographic, climatic, demographic, and economic maps—with an emphasis on accessibility for both national planners and international audiences. As the sole atlas in the collection, it stands as a foundational artifact, illustrating how Burundi engaged with the broader continental movement of atlas-making in the 1970s. While no contemporary reviews are recorded, its existence underscores the importance of cartographic self-representation for a small, landlocked nation. The atlas’s legacy lies in its role as a baseline reference for later geographic studies, even if no subsequent national editions were produced. In this gallery, it invites visitors to reflect on the quiet persistence of a single work that captures a country’s spatial narrative at a pivotal historical juncture.
Versions and Their Documents
This is the first volume of the national atlas tradition in our collection.
Contemporary and Later Comment
- Journal Article1982Le Rwanda et le Burundi: d'après deux récents atlas
Louis Papy
This article provides an in-depth geographical and human analysis of Rwanda and Burundi, two small Central African countries, based on two recently published high-quality atlases. Both atlases were funded by the French Ministry of Cooperation and produced by geography teams from the National University of Rwanda and the University of Burundi, respectively. The article begins by highlighting the striking similarities between the two countries in geography and history: both are landlocked nations situated on high plateaus nourished by tropical rains, sharing a past of kingdom-building, German and Belgian colonization, and gaining independence in 1962 and 1963, respectively. They are densely populated, practice intensive agriculture, and are home to the same three ethnic groups—Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa—with stable state structures and unified languages. The core of the article dissects the physical geography of both nations. By interpreting the atlases' content, it systematically describes the geomorphological units from west to east, including the East African Rift occupied by Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika, volcanic mountain ranges, the north-south oriented Congo-Nile Ridge, the typical 'land of a thousand hills,' and the eastern plains bordering Tanzania. Regarding climate, the article emphasizes altitude as the dominant factor near the equator, resulting in pleasant temperatures and abundant rainfall, and it delineates various bioclimatic regions. The text also addresses environmental issues under population pressure, particularly soil erosion and deforestation, as well as efforts to reclaim marshy valleys through drainage and irrigation. Finally, it focuses on urbanization, noting the still-low rates and analyzing the rapid growth and central roles of the capitals, Kigali and Bujumbura, while mentioning other, less developed towns and the limited tourism potential. The author concludes that these atlases, with their detailed information and excellent colored plates, make a significant contribution to understanding the regional diversity, environmental challenges, and development prospects of Rwanda and Burundi.
From the Physical Collection
Photographs are being prepared for this hall.