Map of Central African Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: In 1996, the Central African Republic experienced three mutinies by dissident elements of the armed forces, which demanded back pay as well as political and military reforms. Continuing violence in 1997 between the government and rebel military groups over pay issues, living conditions, and lack of opposition party representation in the government has destroyed many businesses in the capital, reducing tax revenues and exacerbating the government's problems in meeting expenses.


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Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 21 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 622,980 km²
Land: 622,980 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,203 km
Border countries: (5) 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

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
Extremes lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Gaou 1,420 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 75%
Other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa


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Population: 3,375,771 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 2.02% (1998 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
0-14 years: 44% (male 745,128; female 737,879)
15-64 years: 52% (male 864,263; female 906,656)
65 years and over: 4% (male 55,051; female 66,794) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.02% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.72 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 16.75 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.78 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 105.73 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 46.82 years
Male: 45.02 years
Female: 48.68 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 60%
Male: 68.5%
Female: 52.4% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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
Abbreviation: CAR

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: passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995

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): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Michel GBEZERA-BRIA (since January 1997)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a 6-year term; election last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Ange PATASSE elected president; percent of vote_PATASSE 52.45%, Abel GOUMBA 45.62%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (85 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_MLPC 34, RDC 13, PLD 7, FPP 7, ADP 6, PSD 3, CN 3, MDREC 1, PRC 1, FC 1, MESAN 1, independents supporting David DACKO 6, other independents 2
Note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA
In the us chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462 2,517
In the us fax: [1] (202) 462 2,517
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mosina H. JORDAN
From the us embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
From the us mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
From the us telephone: [236] 61 26 21
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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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 nearly 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. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 1%. Ongoing violence between the government and rebel military groups over pay issues, living conditions, and political representation has destroyed many businesses in the capital, reduced tax revenues for the government, and delayed negotiations for an IMF financial aid agreement.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 50%
Industry: 14%
Services: 36% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber

Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 6% (1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $638 million
Expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $888 million (1994 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: total value:$171 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodoties: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Partners: France 16%, Belgium-Luxembourg 40.1%, Italy, Japan, US, Spain, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo

Imports: total value:$174 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodoties: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
Partners: France 37%, other EU countries, Japan 24%, Algeria, Cameroon, Namibia

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $890 million (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1_608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993)
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


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 100 million kWh (1995)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 31 kWh (1995)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: fair system
Domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $30 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 2.3% (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 52 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 49
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 15 (1997 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 3
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 49
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 10
914 to 1523 m: 23
Under 914 m: 15 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

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


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs