World Countries Info 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 - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March
2003 a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE deposed the civilian government of
President Ange-Felix PATASSE and has since established a transitional government. Though
the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, this is
likely to weaken in the run-up to municipal, legislative, and presidential elections
scheduled for December 2004 or January 2005. The government still does not fully control
the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist.
Geography of the Central African Republic
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Location:
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Central Africa, north of
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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7 00 N, 21 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 622,984 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, dry winters;
mild to hot, wet summers |
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Terrain:
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vast, flat to rolling,
monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
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Natural resources:
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diamonds, uranium, timber,
gold, oil, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 96.76% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan
winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
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Environment - current issues:
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tap water is not potable;
poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife
refuges; desertification; deforestation |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; almost the
precise center of Africa
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Population of the Central African Republic
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Population:
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3,742,482
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 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 42.8% (male 806,506;
female 795,639)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 990,522; female 1,021,491)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 53,860; female 74,464) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 18 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.56% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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35.55 births/1,000 |
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Death rate:
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19.99 deaths/1,000 |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 92.15 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 84.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 99.09 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 41.36 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 43.08 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.59 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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12.9% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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250,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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22,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
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Ethnic groups:
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Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%,
Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%,
Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority |
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Languages:
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French (official), Sangho (lingua franca
and national language), tribal languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 51%
male: 63.3%
female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Central
African Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
abbreviation: CAR
local short form: none |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Bangui |
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Administrative divisions:
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14 prefectures (prefectures, singular -
prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture
economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto,
Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere,
Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga |
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Independence:
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13 August 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day, 1 December (1958) |
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Constitution:
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passed by referendum 29 December 1994;
adopted 7 January 1995 |
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Legal system:
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based on French law |
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Francois
BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) and Vice President Abel GOUMA (since 12 December 2003)
elections: NA; municipal, legislative and presidential elections scheduled for
December 2004 or January 2005; prime minister appointed by the president
head of government: Prime Minister Celestin GAOMBALET (since 12 December 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers |
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Legislative branch:
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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 2004)
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the
National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior
Courts |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP
[Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic
Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity 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 deposed president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for
Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy
MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
[Enoch LAKOUE] |
Economy
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 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. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on
economic revitalization, with GDP likely to contract in 2004. Distribution of income is
extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only
partially meet humanitarian needs.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $4.584 billion
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003
est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 55%
industry: 20%
services: 25% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (1993) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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61.3 (1993) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.6% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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Industries:
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diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles,
footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (2002) |
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Electricity - production:
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106 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 19.8%
hydro: 80.2%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
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98.63 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca),
yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber |
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Exports:
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$172 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium 70.3%, Spain 7%, Italy 4.1% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$136 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, textiles, petroleum products,
machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
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Imports - partners:
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France 30.9%, US 5.1%, Cameroon 4.4% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$881.4 million (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA $73 million; note - traditional budget
subsidies from France (2000 est.) |
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
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Currency code:
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XAF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs
(XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7
(1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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