|
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
- 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. |
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Location:
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Central Africa,
north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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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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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 the country's 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, 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:
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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 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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19.99
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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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:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51%
male: 63.3%
female: 39.9% (2003 est.) |
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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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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone: [236] 61 02 00
FAX: [236] 61 44 94
note: The embassy is currently operating with a minimal
staff |
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Economy - overview:
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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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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% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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98.63 million 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) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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9,000 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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12,600 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave
radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone
communication
international: country code - 236; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 5,
shortwave 1 (2002) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.cf |
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Internet hosts:
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6 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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5,000 (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
23,810 km
paved: 643 km
unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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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 |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bangui, Nola,
Salo, Nzinga |
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Airports:
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50 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 47
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 13 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Central African
Armed Forces (FACA): Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval
Forces, Air Force |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 878,980 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 460,469 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$14.5 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.1% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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internal
political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap
into Chad and CAR, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both
countries; Sudan has pledged to work with CAR to stem violent
skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related
pastoral populations along the border |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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