Map of Central African Republic | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 deposed the civilian government of President Ange-Felix PATASSE and has since established a new government.


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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: 622,984 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 622,984 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: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Natural resources: diamonds uranium timber gold oil hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 3.1%
Permanent crops: 0.14%
Other: 96.76% (1998 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
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 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.62% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Central African
Adjective: Central African

Ethnic groups: Baya 33% Banda 27% Mandjia 13% Sara 10% Mboum 7% M'Baka 4% Yakoma 4% other 2%

Languages: French (official) Sangho (lingua franca and national language) tribal languages

Religions
Note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43.1% (male 799,241; female 788,370)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 969,581; female 1,000,740)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 53,322; female 72,284) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17.9 years
Male: 17.6 years
Female: 18.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.62% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 35.93 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 19.73 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 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/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 93.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 86.04 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 100.35 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 41.71 years
Male: 40.18 years
Female: 43.29 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.68 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 12.9% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 250,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 22,000 (2001 est.)

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: 51%
Male: 63.3%
Female: 39.9% (2003 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 short form: none
Local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
Former: Ubangi-Shari, 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 Haute-Kotto Haut-Mbomou Kemo Lobaye Mambere-Kadei Mbomou Nana-Grebizi* Nana-Mambere Ombella-Mpoko Ouaka Ouham Ouham-Pende Sangha-Mbaere* Vakaga

Dependent areas

Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day 1 December (1958)

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 Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)
Head of government: Prime Minister Abel GOUMBA (since NA March 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: NA; current president assumed power following a coup on 15 March 2003 in which former President Ange-Felix PATASSE was overthrown (President BOZIZE has stated that elections will be held by NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
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

Judicial branch: 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

Political parties and leaders: 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]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-9,893
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-7,800
In the us chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mattie R. SHARPLESS
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
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 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 growth likely to be no more than 1.3% in 2003. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.5% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1200 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 55%
Industry: 20%
Services: 25% (2001 est.)

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

Industries: diamond mining logging brewing textiles footwear assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2002)

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.7%
Highest 10: 47.7% (1993)

Distribution of family income gini index: 61.3 (1993)

Budget
Revenues: $NA
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2001 est.)

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: $134 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: diamonds timber cotton coffee tobacco
Partners: Belgium 66.8% Spain 6.4% Kazakhstan 4% (2002)

Imports: $102 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: food textiles petroleum products machinery electrical equipment motor vehicles chemicals pharmaceuticals
Partners: France 30% US 5.2% Cameroon 4.5% Germany 4.3% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $881.4 million (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002) 733.04 (2001) 711.98 (2000) 615.7 (1999) 589.95 (1998)


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Electricity
Production: 106 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 19.8%
Production by source hydro: 80.2%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 98.63 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 9,500 (2000)
Mobile cellular: 710 (1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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: .cf
Service providers isps: 1 (2002)
Users: 2000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $13.43 million (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 1.1% (FY02)

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: 50 (2002)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 47
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: 13 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways
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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: internal political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap into Chad and CAR leaving refugees and rebel groups in both countries; violent ethnic skirmishes persist along the border with Sudan

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs