CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC @Central African Republic:Geography Location: Central Africa, north of Zaire Map references: Africa Area: total area: 622,980 sq km land area: 622,980 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: none Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 64% other: 28% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa @Central African Republic:People Population: 3,209,759 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (female 690,290; male 694,153) 15-64 years: 53% (female 886,421; male 825,268) 65 years and over: 4% (female 64,846; male 48,781) (July 1995 est.) Population growth rate: 2.1% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 41.84 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 20.89 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 135.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.15 years male: 40.68 years female: 43.67 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.37 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African Ethnic divisions: Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 3,600 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 38% male: 52% female: 25% Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.) by occupation: agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3% note: about 64,000 salaried workers (1985) @Central African Republic:Government Names: conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Central African Empire Abbreviation: CAR Digraph: CT 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: National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic) Constitution: 21 November 1986 Legal system: based on French law Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993); election last held 19 September 1993 (next scheduled for 1998); PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel GOUMBA received 45.62% head of government: Prime Minister (vacant) (Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA resigned on 11 April 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 19 September 1993; results - percentage vote by party NA; seats - (85 total) MLPC 33, RDC 14, PLD 7, ADP 6, PSD 3, others 22 note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional); when they sit together they are called the Congress (Congres) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the party of the new president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD), David DACKO; Marginal Movement for Democracy, Renaissance and Evolution (MDREC), Joseph BENDOUNGA; Central African Democratic Assembly (RDC), Andre KOLINGBA; Patriotic Front for Progress (FFP), Abel GOUMBA; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA (appointed 19 September 1994) chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800, 7801 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert E. GRIBBIN III embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00, 61 25 78, 61 02 10 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 Flag: 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 CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates about half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 26% 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. A major plus is the large forest reserves, which the government is moving to protect from overexploitation. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 40%, fueled by the rising prices of imports on which the economy depends. CAR's poor resource base and primitive infrastructure will keep it dependent on multilateral donors and France for the foreseeable future. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1994 est.) National product real growth rate: 5.5% (1994 est.) National product per capita: $700 (1994 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% (1994 est.) Unemployment rate: 30% (1988 est.) in Bangui Budget: revenues: $175 million expenditures: $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991 est.) Exports: $123.5 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US Imports: $165.1 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products partners: France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria External debt: $859 million (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 40,000 kW production: 100 million kWh consumption per capita: 29 kWh (1993) Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles Agriculture: self-sufficient in food production except for grain; commercial crops - cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops - manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $52 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $1.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $38 million Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948 Fiscal year: calendar year @Central African Republic:Transportation Railroads: 0 km Highways: total: 22,000 km paved: bituminous 458 km unpaved: improved earth 10,542 km; unimproved earth 11,000 km Inland waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river Ports: Bangui, Nola Airports: total: 61 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 19 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 29 @Central African Republic:Communications Telephone system: NA telephones; system is only fair local: NA intercity: network consists principally of micowave radio relay and low capacity, low powered radio communication international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA @Central African Republic:Defense Forces Branches: Central African Army (includes Republican Guard), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Police Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 718,487; males fit for military service 375,950 (1995 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 2.3% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________