Statistical information Central African Republic 1992

Central African Republic in the World
top of pageBackground: The Central African Republic has been governed by one-party rule since 1986.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 622,980 km²
Land: 622,980 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
5,203 km; Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km,
Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
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
ElevationNatural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use: arable land: 3%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 64%; other 28%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 3,029,080 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Central African(s; adjective - Central African
Ethnic groups:
about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are
French
Languages: French (official; Sangho (lingua franca and national language; Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%,
Muslim 15%, other 11%; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 43 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
Current issues note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 135 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male, 49 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 27% (male 33%, female 15%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Central African Republic (no short-form name); abbreviated CAR
Government type: republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986
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
Dependent areasIndependence:
13 August 1960 (from France; formerly Central African
Empire)
National holiday:
National Day (proclamation of the republic), 1
December (1958)
Constitution: 21 November 1986
Legal system: based on French law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 21
National Assembly: last held 31 July 1987 (next to be held by end of 1992); results - RDC is the only party; seats - (52 total) RDC 52
President: last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held by end of 1992); results - President KOLINGBA was reelected without opposition
Communists: small number of Communist sympathizers
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et
Regional); when they sit together this is known as the Congress (Congres)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET;
Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 483-7,800 or 7,801
US:Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON; Embassy at Avenue du President David
Dacko, Bangui (mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui); telephone 61-02-00, 61-25-78, or 61-43-33; FAX 190 (236) 61-44-94
Diplomatic representationFlag 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview:
Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1988 the agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP.
Agricultural products accounted for about 60% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 30%. The country's 1991 budget deficit was US $70 million and in 1992 is expected to be about the same. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development assistance, particularly from France, plays a major role in providing capital for new investment.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 40% of GDP; self-sufficient in food production except for grain; commercial crops - cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops - manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (1988; accounts for 12% of GDP
Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.); agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 1% of labor force
Unemployment rate: 30% in Bangui (1988 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $121 million; expenditures $193 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1991 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $151.3 million (1990 est.)
Commodoties: diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco
Partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports: $214.5 million (1990 est.)
Commodoties: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
Partners: France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 40,000 kW capacity; 95 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp:exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of
GDP (1989 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
66 total, 52 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs