Twa pygmies were the original inhabitants of this area.

In the 16th and 17th centuries the country experienced a wave of migration by the Tutsis from Ethiopia and Uganda.

The Tutsis became a loosely organised aristocracy with a king or mwami at the head.

The Germans colonised the country along with Rwanda at the end of the 19th century.

During World War 1 the Belgians forced the Germans out; the Belgians then ruled indirectly through the Tutsi chiefs and princes who were granted wide ranging powers. They believed that the Hutu were merely hard working but dumb peasants.

The Christian missionaries concentrated on educating the Tutsis and virtually ignored the Hutu; this policy remained unchallenged due to the missionaries being granted a monopoly on education.

Coffee plantations were established and the consequent influx of wealth from the sale of the produce by the Tutsi elite greatly increased tension between the Tutsi and Hutu.

A nationalist organisation based on tribal unity was created in the 1950's by Prince Rwagasore who was subsequently assassinated a move which was supported by the colonial authorities.

1962 independence was granted, but challenges were raised about the concentration of all the power solely in the Tutsi hands, the country was headed by a majority government.

Elections were held in 1974 where the Hutu candidates won the majority of votes but the mwami refused to recognise a Hutu leader.

A year later the Hutu's frustration boiled over and they attempted a Hutu military and political coup, it failed.

Although it led to the flight of mwami into exile in Switzerland his replacement was a Tutsi military junta.

This was followed by a wholesale purge of the Hutu from the army and bureaucracy.

In 1972 there was a large scale revolt, during which 1000 Tutsis were killed.

During the seventies and eighties, the Tutsi continued to rule Burundi. The army and bureaucracy continue to be dominated by Tutsi also.