| Central African Republic |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Central African Republic | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993.

Central African Republic | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: | 7 00 N, 21 00 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: | total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km

Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: | none (landlocked)

Climate: | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Terrain: | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Natural resources: | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower

Land use: | arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 75% other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

Environment - current issues: | tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Central African Republic | People | Top of Page

Population: | 3,576,884 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414) 15-64 years: 53% (male 929,717; female 965,947) 65 years and over: 3.77% (male 59,364; female 75,557) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.85% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 37.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 18.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 105.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 43.8 years male: 42.17 years female: 45.48 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 4.86 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 13.84% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 240,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 23,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

Ethnic groups: | Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 1,500 French)

Religions: | indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

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

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60% male: 68.5% female: 52.4% (1995 est.)

Central African Republic | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR

Government 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: | Republic Day, 1 December (1958)

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: | chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%

Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election) elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7 note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (all judges appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts

Political parties and leaders: | Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Francois PEHOUA]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [leader NA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. PERRY embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94

Flag description: | 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

Central African Republic | Economy | Top of Page

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 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 54%. 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. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. The government has set targets of 3.5% GDP growth in 2001 and 2002. As of January 2001, many civil servants were owed as much as 30 months pay, leading them to go on strike and further damaging the economy.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $6.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 53% industry: 20% services: 27% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | NA

Unemployment rate: | 6% (1993)

Budget: | revenues: $638 million expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $888 million (1994 est.)

Industries: | diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 102 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 20.59% hydro: 79.41% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 94.9 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber

Exports: | $166 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco

Exports - partners: | Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999)

Imports: | $154 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products

Imports - partners: | France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999)

Debt - external: | $790 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France

Currency: | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code: | XAF

Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Central African Republic | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 570 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: fair system domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: | 283,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | NA

Televisions: | 18,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .cf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 1,000 (2000)

Central African Republic | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 23,810 km paved: 429 km unpaved: 23,381 km (2000)

Waterways: | 900 km note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m

Ports and harbors: | Bangui, Nola

Airports: | 52 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 49 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.)

Central African Republic | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Central African Armed Forces (includes Army, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, Police Force)

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 824,139 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 430,922 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $29 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.2% (FY96)

Central African Republic | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none