Rwanda and Burundi: Based on two recent atlases
Le Rwanda et le Burundi: d'après deux récents atlas
- Publication
- Les Cahiers d'Outre-Mer
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 140
- Pages
- 379-387
Burundi · Version 1
1979In his joint review of two atlases, Louis Papy gives a strongly favorable account of Atlas du Burundi. Presented by Guy Lasserre, it was produced by geographers teaching at the University of Bujumbura with specialists from other disciplines and support from Burundian and French institutions. Papy praises its color plates, substantial explanatory texts, supplementary maps and sketches, and extensive bibliographies. He highlights the opening satellite-based map and the physical-geography coverage, including relief, atmospheric circulation, soils, vegetation and wildlife. He particularly values Guy Sottaux’s comparison of Belgian, French and American soil terminology and assessment of agricultural suitability. In the historical section, Jacques Marissal and Paul Vérin question the account of a recent Tutsi invasion imposing rule on Hutu cultivators, proposing instead a long coexistence of cultivators and pastoralists; Papy also draws attention to the treatment of the kingdom, colonial administration and social change. His discussion of rural geography emphasizes J. L. Acquier’s mapped examples from the central plateaus, Lake Tanganyika shores and the Rusizi cotton settlements, alongside the atlas’s accounts of food crops, commercial crops and livestock. He reports its warnings about severe soil erosion and notes that restoration and conservation plans had only begun to be implemented. The review also commends the health mapping and Pierre Sirven’s detailed treatment of Bujumbura’s neighborhoods, social structure and markets, while noting coverage of Gitega. Papy concludes that the well-executed color plates warrant direct consultation.
View whole-article summary
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.
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