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 - a civilian government was installed in 1993.

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

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

Geography
Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

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 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 1.8% (2002 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

Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 788,417; female 776,721)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 951,908; female 986,947)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 60,395; female 78,351) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.8% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 36.6 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 18.62 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 103.81 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 43.58 years
Female: 45.13 years (2002 est.)
Male: 42.08 years

Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 13.84% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 240,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 23,000 (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 60%
Male: 68.5%
Female: 52.4% (1995 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Central African Republic
Conventional short form: none
Local short form: none
Former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
Local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
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

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA September 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%

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 the 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 CCC CEEAC CEMAC ECA FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC ITU NAM OAU OIC (observer) OPCW (signatory) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL 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

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. 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 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. As of January 2002 many civil servants were owed as much as 16 months pay during the PATASSE administration as well as 14 months pay from the KOLINGBA administration.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1300 (2001 est.)

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 sawmills breweries textiles footwear assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (2001)

Labor force: NA

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

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1%
Highest 10: 48% (1993) (1993)

Distribution of family income gini index: 61 (1993)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

Exports: $166 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: diamonds timber cotton coffee tobacco
Partners: Benelux 64% Cote d'Ivoire Spain China Egypt France (1999)

Imports: $154 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: food textiles petroleum products machinery electrical equipment motor vehicles chemicals pharmaceuticals consumer goods industrial products
Partners: France 35% Cameroon 13% Benelux Cote d'Ivoire Germany Japan (1999)

Debt external: $881.4 million (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002) 733.04 (2001) 711.98 (2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999 the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

Electricity
Production: 104 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 20%
Production by source hydro: 80%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 96.72 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

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)

Internet
Country code: .cf
Service providers isps: 1 (2002)
Users: 2000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $29 million (FY96)
Percent of gdp: 2.2% (FY96)

Airports: 51 (2001)
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)

Railways: 0 km

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

Disputes international: none