Statistical information Central African Republic 1995Central%20African%20Republic

Map of Central African Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Central African Republic in the World
Central African Republic in the World

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Central African Republic - Introduction 1995
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Background: The Central African Republic has been governed by one-party rule since 1986.


Central African Republic - Geography 1995
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Location: Central Africa, north of Zaire

Geographic coordinates

Map referenceAfrica

Area
Total 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

Elevation

Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 64%
Other: 28%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa


Central African Republic - People 1995
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Population: 3,209,759 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.1% (1995 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 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 profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 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 ratios

Median age

Population 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 distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current 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 pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 135.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total 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 rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 38%
Male: 52%
Female: 25%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Central African Republic - Government 1995
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Country name
Conventional 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 areas

Independence: 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 participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief 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 leaders

International 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 representation
In 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 descriptionflag of Central%20African%20Republic: 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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Central African Republic - Economy 1995
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Economy 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 parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $700 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture 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)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 30% (1988 est.) in Bangui

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $175 million
Expenditures: $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $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 gold

Debt external: $859 million (1991)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange 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


Central African Republic - Energy 1995
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Electricity
Capacity: 40,000 kW
Production: 100 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 29 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Central African Republic - Communication 1995
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Telephones

Telephone 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 media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Central African Republic - Military 1995
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $30 million, 2.3% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Central African Republic - Transportation 1995
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


Central African Republic - Transnational issues 1995
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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