Gitega

Gitega
Gitega

Location in Burundi

Coordinates: 3°26′S 29°54′E / 3.433°S 29.900°E / -3.433; 29.900
Country Burundi
Province Gitega Province
Elevation 1,504 m (4,934 ft)
Population (2012)[1]
  Total 22,989

Gitega (formerly Kitega) is the second largest city in Burundi, lying east of Bujumbura.

Overview

It is the capital of Gitega Province, one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. It is the home of the Burundi National Museum and the Archdiocese of Gitega. Several karyenda royal drum sanctuaries are located in the area, as well as the ibwami (royal court).

History

A street in Gitega

On 29 April 1972, Ntare V of Burundi, the country's last Mwami (King), was killed in Gitega.

Capital city

In March 2007, President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza announced that Burundi was planning to bring back its capital city to Gitega, saying that it is in a better location for a capital than Bujumbura.[2]

Transportation

Gitega is served by Gitega Airport.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gitega.

Coordinates: 03°26′S 29°54′E / 3.433°S 29.900°E / -3.433; 29.900

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.