from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Central African Republic
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the
Congo
Geographic 7 00 N, 21 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Texas
comparative:
Land total: 5,203 km
boundaries: 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 none (landlocked)
claims:
Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered
hills in northeast and southwest
Elevation lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
extremes: highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
Natural diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
resources:
Land use: arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.15%
other: 96.75% (2005)
Irrigated 20 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas;
hazards: floods are common
Environment - tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the
current country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife
issues: refuges; desertification; deforestation
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer
agreements: Protection, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
note:
People
Population: 4,303,356
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female 897,153)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.4 years
male: 18 years
female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.53% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 33.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 85.63 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 43.54 years
expectancy at male: 43.46 years
birth: female: 43.62 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 13.5% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 260,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 23,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
diseases: hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
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.)
Government
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 republic
type:
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 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2
divisions: 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
Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France)
National Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
holiday:
Constitution: ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004;
effective 27 December 2004
Legal system: based on French law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15
branch: 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 unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
branch: (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 NA 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 Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3
branch: 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 Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques
parties and MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC
leaders: [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]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC
(observer), OIF, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
representation chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires James PANOS
from the US: 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 four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white,
description: 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
Economy - Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry,
overview: 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 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,
with GDP growth at only 0.5% in 2004 and 2.5% in 2005.
Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal.
Grants from France and the international community can
only partially meet humanitarian needs.
GDP $4.677 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $1.462 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 55%
composition by industry: 20%
sector: services: 25% (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 0.7%
income or highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 61.3 (1993)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 3.6% (2001 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams,
products: millet, corn, bananas; timber
Industries: gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles,
footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Industrial 3% (2002)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 106 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 19.8%
production by hydro: 80.2%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 98.58 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 2,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $131 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
commodities:
Exports - Belgium 34.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 8.5%, Italy 7.9%,
partners: China 6.9%, Indonesia 6.2%, Democratic Republic of the
Congo 4.6%, US 4.4%, Turkey 4.4% (2005)
Imports: $203 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery,
commodities: electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals
Imports - France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon 9.8%, US 7.4%
partners: (2005)
Debt - $1.06 billion (2002 est.)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies
recipient: from France (2002 est.)
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
(code): responsible authority is the Bank of the Central
African States
Currency code: XAF
Exchange Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
rates: dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003),
696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 10,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 60,000 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: fair system
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 AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 283,000 (1997)
Television 1 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 18,000 (1997)
Internet .cf
country code:
Internet 10 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 9,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 50 (2006)
Airports - total: 3
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 47
with unpaved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 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)
(2005)
Ports and Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga
terminals:
Military
Military Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces,
branches: Military Air Service; General Directorate of
Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard,
National Police (2006)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service age service; conscript service obligation is two years
and (2005)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 853,760
available for females age 18-49: 835,426 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 416,091
for military females age 18-49: 383,056 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $16.37 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict
international: in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic
skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related
pastoral populations along the border with southern
Sudan persist
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 19,470 (Sudan) 1,864
internally (Chad) 6,484 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
displaced IDPs: 200,000 (unrest following coup in 2003) (2005)
persons:
Trafficking in current situation: Central African Republic is a source
persons: 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