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Gitega

Capital of BurundiGitega sits on Burundi's central plateau, in the middle of the country, about 1,500 m above sea level. The Ruvyironza and Rurubu rivers meet a few kilometres to its north-east.

Why it's the capital

Gitega was the seat of the Kingdom of Burundi and stayed the royal capital until 1966. In December 2018 President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that it would become the political capital again, and a vote in parliament made this official on 16 January 2019.

Fun facts

  1. Its old name was Kitega. The Germans laid out the plan of the modern town in 1912, when Burundi was part of German East Africa.
  2. Burundi's National Museum is in Gitega.
  3. Several sanctuaries for the karyenda, the royal drums of Burundi, are in the area around the city.

Finding it on the globe

Find Bujumbura on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, then move about 60 km east, inland. Gitega is in the centre of Burundi.

Easy to mix up

Many players tap Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city. It was the political capital until 2019 and remains the economic capital.

Sources: Wikipedia: Gitega, Wikipedia: Bujumbura