| 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. |
| Location: |
Central Africa,
north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| 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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 75%
other: 17% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hot, dry, dusty
harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Environment
- current issues: |
tap water is not
potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of
the last great wildlife refuges; desertification;
deforestation |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical
Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked;
almost the precise center of Africa |
| Population: |
3,576,884
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 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414)
15-64 years: 53% (male 929,717; female 965,947)
65 years and over: 3.77% (male 59,364; female
75,557) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.85% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.05
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
18.53
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
105.25
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 43.8 years
male: 42.17 years
female: 45.48 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.86 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
13.84% (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
240,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
23,000 (1999
est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Baya 34%, Banda
27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans
6,500 (including 1,500 French) |
| Religions: |
indigenous
beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%,
other 11%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly
influence the Christian majority |
| Languages: |
French
(official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language),
Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili |
| 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 long form: Republique Centrafricaine
local short form: none
former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
abbreviation: CAR |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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 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: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note -
there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998
election)
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
note: the National Assembly is advised by the
Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et
Regional; when they sit together they are called the
Congress or Congres |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (all judges appointed by
the president); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance for
Democracy and Progress or ADP [Francois PEHOUA]; Central
African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic
Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum 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 [leader NA]; National Unity Party or PUN
[Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch
LAKOUE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB,
BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Robert C. PERRY
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone: [236] 61 02 00
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 nearly 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. The government has set targets
of 3.5% GDP growth in 2001 and 2002. As of January 2001,
many civil servants were owed as much as 30 months pay,
leading them to go on strike and further damaging the
economy. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $6.1 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
53%
industry: 20%
services: 27% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
6% (1993) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$638 million
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $888 million (1994 est.) |
| Industries: |
diamond mining,
sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of
bicycles and motorcycles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
102 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
20.59%
hydro: 79.41%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
94.9 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, coffee,
tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas;
timber |
| Exports: |
$166 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
diamonds, timber,
cotton, coffee, tobacco |
| Exports
- partners: |
Benelux 64%, Cote
d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999) |
| Imports: |
$154 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food, textiles,
petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor
vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods,
industrial products |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 35%,
Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$790 million
(1999 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$172.2 million
(1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France |
| Currency: |
Communaute
Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Exchange
rates: |
Communaute
Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21
(January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998),
583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999,
the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per
euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
10,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
570 (1997) |
| 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 3,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
NA |
| Televisions: |
18,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cf |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
1,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
23,810 km
paved: 429 km
unpaved: 23,381 km (2000) |
| Waterways: |
900 km
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 |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bangui, Nola |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
49
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Central African
Armed Forces (includes Army, Air Force, Presidential Guard,
National Gendarmerie, Police Force) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 824,139 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 430,922 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$29 million
(FY96) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.2% (FY96) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
