Statistical information Central African Republic 1995

Central African Republic in the World
top of pageBackground: The Central African Republic has been governed by one-party rule since 1986.
top of pageLocation: Central Africa, north of Zaire
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
AfricaAreaTotal area total: 622,980 km²
Land: 622,980 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 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
ElevationNatural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land useArable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 64%
Other: 28%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
top of pagePopulation: 3,209,759 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.1% (1995 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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 3,600 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%
Note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 43% (female 690,290; male 694,153)
15-64 years: 53% (female 886,421; male 825,268)
65 years and over: 4% (female 64,846; male 48,781) (July 1995 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 2.1% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 41.84 births/1000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 20.89 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
Current issues natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Current issues international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 135.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 42.15 years
Male: 40.68 years
Female: 43.67 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.37 children born/woman (1995 est.)
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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 38%
Male: 52%
Female: 25%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Central African Republic
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
Local short form: none
Former: Central African Empire
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 13 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)
Constitution: 21 November 1986
Legal system: based on French law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993); election last held 19 September 1993 (next scheduled for 1998); PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel GOUMBA received 45.62%
Head of government: Prime Minister (vacant) (Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA resigned on 11 April 1995)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
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 leadersInternational organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, 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
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA (appointed 19 September 1994)
In the us chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-7,800, 7,801
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-9,893
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert E. GRIBBIN III
From the us embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
From the us mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
From the us telephone: [236] 61 02 00, 61 25 78, 61 02 10
From the us 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates about half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 26% 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. 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 CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 40%, fueled by the rising prices of imports on which the economy depends. CAR's poor resource base and primitive infrastructure will keep it dependent on multilateral donors and France for the foreseeable future.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $700 (1994 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: 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: 4% (1990 est.), accounts for 14% of GDP
Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation commerceand services: 9%
By occupation industry: 3%
By occupation government: 3%
Note: about 64,000 salaried workers (1985)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1988 est.) in Bangui
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $175 million
Expenditures: $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 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: $123.5 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports: $165.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
Partners: France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $859 million (1991)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 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
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 40,000 kW
Production: 100 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 29 kWh (1993)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: NA telephones; system is only fair
Local: NA
Intercity: network consists principally of micowave radio relay and low capacity, low powered radio communication
International: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $30 million, 2.3% of GDP (1994)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 61
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 19
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 29
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs