Statistical information Central African Republic 2017

Central African Republic in the World

Central African Republic - Introduction 2017

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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 but lasted only a decade. In March 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still lacks full control of the countryside where lawlessness persists. Several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership. In March 2013 the coalition government dissolved rebels seized the capital and President BOZIZE fled the country. Rebel leader Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency and the following month established a National Transitional Council (CNT). In January 2014 the CNT elected Catherine SAMBA-PANZA as interim president. Elections completed in March 2016 installed independent candidate Faustin-Archange TOUADERA as president; he continues to work towards peace between the government and armed groups and is developing a disarmament demobilization reintegration and repatriation (DDRR) program to reintegrate the armed groups into society.

Central African Republic - Geography 2017

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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
Rank: 46
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,920 km
Border countries: (6) Cameroon 901 km; Chad 1556 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 1747 km; Republic of the Congo 487 km; South Sudan 1055 km; Sudan 174 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical; hot dry winters; mild to hot wet summers

Terrain: vast flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Elevation
Mean elevation: 635 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m: highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1410 m

Natural resources: diamonds uranium timber gold oil hydropower

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 8.1%

arable land: 2.9%
permanent crops: 0.1%
permanent pasture: 5.1%

Forest: 36.2%
Other: 55.7%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2012)

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

Central African Republic - People 2017

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Population
Distribution: majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country especially in and around the capital of Bangui: 5,625,118
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
Rank: 115
Growth rate: 2.12% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 42
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: indigenous beliefs 35% Protestant 25% Roman Catholic 25% Muslim 15%
Note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Demographic profile:

The Central African Republic’s (CAR) humanitarian crisis has worsened since a coup in March 2013. CAR’s high mortality rate and low life expectancy are attributed to elevated rates of preventable and treatable diseases (including malaria and malnutrition) an inadequate health care system precarious food security and armed conflict. Some of the worst mortality rates are in western CAR’s diamond mining region which is impoverished because of government attempts to control the diamond trade and the fall in industrial diamond prices. To make matters worse the government and international donors have reduced health funding in recent years. The CAR’s weak educational system and low literacy rate have also suffered as a result of the country’s ongoing conflict. Schools are closed qualified teachers are scarce infrastructure funding and supplies are lacking and subject to looting and many students and teachers are displaced by violence.
Rampant poverty human rights violations unemployment poor infrastructure and a lack of security and stability have led to forced displacement internally and externally. Since the political crisis that resulted in CAR’s March 2013 coup began in December 2012 approximately 370,000 people have fled to Chad the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other neighboring countries while more than an estimated 600,000 are displaced internally as of October 2017. The UN has urged countries to refrain from repatriating CAR refugees amid the heightened lawlessness.

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.09%
15-24 years: 19.94%
25-54 years: 32.45%
55-64 years: 4.1%
65 years and over: 3.43% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 90
Youth dependency ratio: 83.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 7
Potential support ratio: 14.4

Median age
Total: 19.7 years
Male: 19.4 years
Female: 20 years
Rank: 195

Population growth rate: 2.12% (2017 est.)
Rank: 42

Birth rate: 34.3 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 23

Death rate: 13.2 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 11

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 78

Population distribution: majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country especially in and around the capital of Bangui

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.73% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BANGUI (capital) 794,000 (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 86.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 93.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 78.7 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 3

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.8 years
Male: 51.4 years
Female: 54.2 years
Rank: 217

Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 28

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 15.2% (2010/11)

Drinking water source:

urban: 89.6% of population
rural: 54.4% of population
total: 68.5% of population
urban: 10.4% of population
rural: 45.6% of population
total: 31.5% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.05 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 43.6% of population
rural: 7.2% of population
total: 21.8% of population
urban: 56.4% of population
rural: 92.8% of population
total: 78.2% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 4% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 14
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 33
Deaths: 7,300 (2016 est.)
Deaths rank: 25

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 7.5% (2016)
Rank: 159

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 23.5% (2010)
Rank: 26

Education expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 171

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 36.8%
Male: 50.7%
Female: 24.4%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 7 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 6 years

Youth unemployment

Central African Republic - Government 2017

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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
Etymology: self-descriptive name specifying the country's location on the continent; 'Africa' is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia 'Africa terra' which meant 'Land of the Afri' but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Bangui
Geographic coordinates: 4 22 N 18 35 E
Time difference: UTC+1

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
History: several previous; latest approved by the Transitional Council 30 August 2015 adopted by referendum 13-14 December 2015 ratified 27 March 2016
Amendments: proposals require support of the government two-thirds of the National Council of Transition and assent by the “Mediator of the Central African” crisis; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the National Council membership; non-amendable constitutional provisions include those on the secular and republican form of government fundamental rights and freedoms amendment procedures or changes to the authorities of various high-level executive parliamentary and judicial officials

Legal system: civil law system based on the French model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen of the Central African Republic
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 35 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Faustin-Archange TOUADERA
Head of government: Prime Minister Simplice SARANDJI
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: under the new constitution the president is elected by universal direct suffrage for a period of 5 years ; election last held 20 February 2016 (next to be held in April 2021)
Election results: first round held on 30 December 2015 percent of vote - Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE 23.7% Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (independent) 19.1% Desire KOLINGBA (RDC) 12.0% Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 11.4% other 33.8%; second round held on 20 February 2016 percent of vote - Faustin-Archange TOUADERA 62.7% Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE 37.3%
Note: rebel forces seized the capital in March 2013 forcing former President BOZIZE to flee the country; Interim President Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency reinstated the prime minister and established a National Transitional Council in April 2013; the NTC elected Catherine SAMBA-PANZA interim president in January 2014 to serve until February 2015 when new elections were to be held; her term was extended because instability delayed new elections and the transition did not take place until the end of March 2016

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Elections: last held 30 December 2015 14 February 2016 - first round and 31 March 2016 - second round (next election to be held in 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNDP 16 URCA 11 RDC 8 MLPC 10 KNK 7 other 19 independent 60

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ; Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges at least 3 of whom are women)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judge appointments - 2 by the president 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly 2 elected by their peers 2 are advocates elected by their peers and 2 are law professors elected by their peers; judges serve 7-year non-renewable terms
Subordinate courts: high courts; magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders:

Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
Union for Central African Renewal or URCA [Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU BDEAC CEMAC EITI (compliant country) (suspended) FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OIC (observer) OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stanislas MOUSSA-KEMBE
In the us chancery: 2,704 Ontario Road NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] 483-7,800
In the us FAX: [1] 332-9,893
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires David P. BROWNSTEIN (since September 2017)
From the us embassy: Avenue David Dacko Bangui
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 924 Bangui
From the us telephone: [236] 21 61 0200
From the us FAX: [236] 21 61 4,494

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; banner combines the Pan-African and French flag colors; red symbolizes the blood spilled in the struggle for independence blue represents the sky and freedom white peace and dignity green hope and faith and yellow tolerance; the star represents aspiration towards a vibrant future

National symbols: elephant; national colors: blue white green yellow red

National anthem
Name: 'Le Renaissance'
Lyrics and music: Barthelemy BOGANDA/Herbert PEPPER
Note: adopted 1960; Barthelemy BOGANDA wrote the anthem's lyrics and was the first prime minister of the autonomous French territory

National heritage

Central African Republic - Economy 2017

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Economy overview:

Subsistence agriculture together with forestry and mining remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR) with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber and diamonds account for most export earnings followed by cotton. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked geography poor transportation system largely unskilled work force and 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.
Since 2009 the IMF has worked closely with the government to institute reforms that have resulted in some improvement in budget transparency but other problems remain. The government's additional spending in the run-up to the 2011 election worsened CAR's fiscal situation. In 2012 the World Bank approved $125 million in funding for transport infrastructure and regional trade focused on the route between CAR's capital and the port of Douala in Cameroon. In July 2016 the IMF approved a three-year extended credit facility valued at $116 million. The World Bank in late 2016 approved a $20 million grant to restore basic fiscal management improve transparency and assist with economic recovery.
Participants in the Kimberley Process a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain partially lifted the ban on diamond exports from CAR in 2015 but persistent insecurity will prevent GDP from recovering to its pre-2013 level.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$3.185 billion (2016 est.)
$3.009 billion (2015 est.)
$2.84 billion (2014 est.)

Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 185

Real gdp growth rate:

4.5% (2016 est.)
4.8% (2015 est.)
1% (2014 est.)

Rank: 48

Real gdp per capita:

$700 (2016 est.)
$600 (2015 est.)
$600 (2014 est.)

Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 229

Gross national saving:

4.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
4.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
4.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Rank: 165

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 96.4%
Government consumption: 7.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 13.6%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 12.7%
Imports of goods and services: -30%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 42.9%
Industry: 16%
Services: 41.1%

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

Industries: gold and diamond mining logging brewing sugar refining

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 107

Labor force: 2.194 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 121

Labor force

Unemployment rate: 8% (2001 est.)
Note: 23% unemployment in the capital Bangui
Rank: 102

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.1%
Highest 10: 33%

Distribution of family income gini index: 61.3 (1993)
Rank: 3

Budget
Revenues: $250.4 million
Expenditures: $226.6 million
Surplus or deficit: 1.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 19

Taxes and other revenues: 14.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 198

Public debt:

42.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
48.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Rank: 125

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

4.6% (2016 est.)
37.1% (2015 est.)

Rank: 172

Central bank discount rate:

4.25% (31 December 2009)
4.75% (31 December 2008)

Rank: 86

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15.5% (31 December 2016 est.)
15.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

Rank: 37

Stock of narrow money:

$342.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$340.9 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Rank: 174

Stock of broad money:

$432.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$426.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Rank: 187

Stock of domestic credit:

$458.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$444.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Rank: 178

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:

$-161 million (2016 est.)
$-143.2 million (2015 est.)

Rank: 78

Exports:

$101.5 million (2016 est.)
$82 million (2015 est.)

Rank: 196
Commodities: diamonds timber cotton coffee
Partners: Belarus 33.5% Germany 15.3% France 14.2% Chad 12.6% Cameroon 9.7% China 8.1% (2016)

Imports:

$340.8 million (2016 est.)
$341.2 million (2015 est.)

Rank: 197
Commodities: food textiles petroleum products machinery electrical equipment motor vehicles chemicals pharmaceuticals
Partners: Egypt 29.8% France 18.6% China 6.8% Belgium 5.7% Cameroon 5.4% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

$691.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$661.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Rank: 173

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
593.01 (2016 est.)
593.01 (2015 est.)
591.45 (2014 est.)
494.42 (2013 est.)
510.53 (2012 est.)

Central African Republic - Energy 2017

Central African Republic - Communication 2017

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1964
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 216
Mobile cellular total: 982,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18
Mobile cellular rank: 155

Telephone system
General assessment: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity low-powered radiotelephone communication
Domestic: very limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular service providers cellular usage is increasing from a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui
International: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: government-owned network Radiodiffusion Television Centrafricaine provides limited domestic TV broadcasting; state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet
Country code: .cf
Users total: 246,000
Users percent of population: 4.6%
Users rank: 157

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Central African Republic - Military 2017

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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for military service; no conscription (2017)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Central African Republic - Transportation 2017

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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 46,364
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TL (2016)

Airports: 39 (2013)
Rank: 106
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 37
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 19
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 20,278 km
Paved: 1385 km
Unpaved: 18,893 km
Rank: 107

Waterways: 2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997 importers and exporters preferred routes through Cameroon) (2011)
Rank: 34

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
River port: Bangui ; Nola (Sangha)

Central African Republic - Transnational issues 2017

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 600,250 (2017)

Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons

Central African Republic
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