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.
Location
Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates
7 00 N, 21 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
622,984 sq km
land
622,984 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total
5,203 km
border countries
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
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 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
41.6% (male 914,566/female 903,849)
15-64 years
54.2% (male 1,174,520/female 1,195,364)
65 years and over
4.1% (male 71,355/female 109,384) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18.5 years
male
18.2 years
female
18.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.505% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
33.52 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
18.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.012 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.983 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.652 male(s)/female
total population
0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
83.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male
90.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female
77.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
43.74 years
male
43.69 years
female
43.79 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.32 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
13.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
260,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
23,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease
malaria
respiratory disease
meningococcal meningitis (2007)
Nationality
noun
Central African(s)
adjective
Central African
Ethnic groups
Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
Religions
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
51%
male
63.3%
female
39.9% (2003 est.)
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)
ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004
Legal system
based on French law
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)
head of government
Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005); note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005
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
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
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 [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]
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS
embassy
Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address
B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone
[236] 61 02 00
FAX
[236] 61 44 94
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; 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 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$4.998 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.55 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,200 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
55%
industry
20%
services
25% (2001 est.)
Labor force
NA
Unemployment rate
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
France 15.4%, Netherlands 15.1%, US 9.2%, Cameroon 8.9% (2006)
Debt - external
$1.06 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2002 est.)
Currency (code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code
XAF
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
10,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
60,000 (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
fair system
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)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios
283,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2001)
Televisions
18,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.cf
Internet hosts
10 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2002)
Internet users
9,000 (2005)
Airports
50 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
47
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
10
914 to 1,523 m
23
under 914 m
13 (2006)
Roadways
total: 23,810 km (1999)
Waterways
2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga
Military branches
Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service, General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG); National Police (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 2 years (2006)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
853,760
females age 18-49
835,426 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
416,091
females age 18-49
383,056 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.1% (2006 est.)
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)
19,960 (Sudan), 3,325 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); note - UNHCR resumed repatriation of Southern Sudanese refugees in 2006
IDPs
150,000 (ongoing unrest following coup in 2003) (2006)
Trafficking in persons
current situation
Central African Republic is a source and destination country for children trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops and commercial labor activities; while the majority of child victims are trafficked within the country, some are also trafficked to and from Cameroon and Nigeria
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List - the Central African Republic failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons during 2005, specifically its inadequate law enforcement response to trafficking crimes
