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. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties a wide field of candidates contested the municipal legislative and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations Chad Sudan and the DRC continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.


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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
Land: 622,984 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: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Natural resources: diamonds uranium timber gold oil hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 3.1%
Permanent crops: 0.15%
Other: 96.75% (2005)

Irrigated land: 20 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 144.4 km³ (2003)

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.509% (2008 est.)

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: 41.3% (male 922,053/female 911,601)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,206,121/female 1,221,158)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 71,597/female 111,800) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.7 years
Male: 18.4 years
Female: 19 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.509% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 33.13 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 18.04 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
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: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 82.13 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 88.84 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 75.23 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 44.22 years
Male: 44.14 years
Female: 44.29 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 13.5% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 260,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 23,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2006)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 48.6%
Male: 64.8%
Female: 33.5% (2000 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: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
Abbreviation: CAR

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Bangui
Geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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: ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004

Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (since 22 January 2008)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority
Election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KNK 42, MLPC 11, RDC 8, PSD 4, FPP 2, ADP 2, LONDO 1, independents 34, other 1

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 Rally 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]; Londo Association or LONDO; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; 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 AU BDEAC CEMAC FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIC (observer) OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
In the us chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-7,800
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-9,893
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Frederick B. COOK
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
From the us note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of blue (top) white green and yellow with a vertical red band in center; a yellow five-pointed star to 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 more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 40%. 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. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.007 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $700 (2007 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: timber cotton coffee tobacco manioc (tapioca) yams millet corn bananas; timber

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2002)

Labor force: 1.857 million (2006)

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

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

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: $250 million
Expenditures: $273 million (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: 5.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $320.2 million (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$77 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $146.7 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: diamonds timber cotton coffee tobacco
Partners: Belgium 22.7% Indonesia 19.3% Italy 7.7% France 7.1% Spain 6.9% Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.8% China 4.9% Turkey 4.7% (2007)

Imports: $237.3 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: food textiles petroleum products machinery electrical equipment motor vehicles chemicals pharmaceuticals
Partners: France 16.6% Netherlands 13% Cameroon 9.7% US 6.3% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.153 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.8 (2007) 522.59 (2006) 527.47 (2005) 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 110 million kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 102.3 million kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 12,000 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 130,000 (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: limited telephone service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons; most fixed-line and cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui
Domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
International: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .cf
Hosts: 21 (2008)
Users: 13,000 (2006)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 51 (2007)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 48
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 24
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 24,307 km (2000)

Waterways: 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2006)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Bangui Nola Salo Nzinga


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Disputes international: periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 7,900 (Sudan); 3,700 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); note - UNHCR resumed repatriation of Southern Sudanese refugees in 2006
Idps: 197,000 (ongoing unrest following coup in 2003) (2007)

Illicit drugs