Central African Republic

Central African Republic

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic Congo

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Democratic Republic Congo 1,577 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime Claims

None; landlocked

International Disputes

None

Climate

Tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Terrain

Vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mount Gaou 1,420 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

NA

Environment

Note: Landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

PEOPLE

Population

3,274,426 (July 1996 est.)
3,209,759 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

44% (male 724,914; female 718,423) (July 1996 est.)
43% (male 694,153; female 690,290) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

52% (male 839,118; female 877,069) (July 1996 est.)
53% (male 825,268; female 886,421) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 53,418; female 61,484) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 48,781; female 64,846) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.08% (1996 est.)
2.1% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

39.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
41.84 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

17.64 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
20.89 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

111.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
135.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

5.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)
5.37 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Note: Animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Languages

French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

775,413 (1986 est.)

By occupation:

Note: About 64,000 salaried workers (1985)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Abbreviation

CAR

Digraph

CT

Type

Republic;

Capital

Bangui

Administrative Divisions

14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui** Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga

Independence

13 August 1960 (from France)

National Holiday

National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)

Constitution

Passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995

Legal System

Based on French law

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Elections last held 19 September 1993; results - percentage vote by party NA; seats - (85 total) MLPC 33, RDC 14, PLD 7, ADP 6, PSD 3, others 22

Note: The National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional); when they sit together they are called the Congress (Congres)

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political Parties and Leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Tchapka BREDE; Central African Democratic Assembly (RDC), Andre KOLINGBA; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the party of the president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD), David DACKO; Marginal Movement for Democracy, Renaissance and Evolution (MDREC), Joseph BENDOUNGA; Patriotic Front for Progress (FFP), Abel GOUMBA; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Enoch Derant LAKOUE

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

Four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band

ECONOMY

Overview

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 13% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 80%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. A major plus is the large forest reserves, which the government is moving to protect from overexploitation. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 45%, fueled by the rising prices of imports on which the economy depends; inflation dropped back rapidly in 1995. The CAR's poor resource base and primitive infrastructure will keep it dependent on multilateral donors and France for the foreseeable future.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (1995 est.), $2.2 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4.1% (1995 est.)
5.5% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$800 (1995 est.)
$700 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

45% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

30% (1988 est.) in Bangui

Budget

Exports

$154 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$123.5 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$215 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$165.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$904.3 million (1993 est.)
$859 million (1991)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Self-sufficient in food production except for grain; commercial crops - cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops - manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas

Economic Aid

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)

Note: Beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Inland Waterways

800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river

Ports

Bangui, Nola

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

16,868 telephones (1992 est.); system is only fair

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Central African Army (includes Republican Guard), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Police Force

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 737,330; males fit for military service 384,134 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 2.3% of GDP (1994)

History
World Atlas

Last updated: 25 november 1997