Central African Republic

• tropical;
• hot, dry winters;
• mild to hot, wet summers

Atlantic Ocean drainage:

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

noun:

Central African(s)

adjective:

Central African

total:

20.6 years (2025 est.)

male:

19.7 years

female:

21.2 years

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.79 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

79.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

86.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

74.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

56.4 years (2024 est.)

male:

55.1 years

female:

57.7 years

total:

0.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

women married by age 15:

25.8% (2019)

women married by age 18:

61% (2019)

men married by age 18:

17.1% (2019)

• water pollution;
• tap water not potable;
• poaching;
• wildlife mismanagement;
• desertification;
• deforestation;
• soil erosion

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

• tropical;
• hot, dry winters;
• mild to hot, wet summers

urban population:

43.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.106 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

9.1% (2022 est.)

municipal:

60.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

12 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

400,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Central African Republic

conventional short form:

none

local long form:

République centrafricaine

local short form:

none

former:

Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation:

CAR

etymology:

• self-descriptive name specifying the country's location on the continent;
• "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia, "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

name:

Bangui

geographic coordinates:

4 22 N, 18 35 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• established as a French military post in 1889;
• the name means "rapids" in the local Bobangui language, because of the city's location above the first great rapid on the Ubangi River

• 14 prefectures ( préfectures , singular - préfecture ), 2 economic prefectures* ( préfectures économiques , singular - préfecture économique ), 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

history:

several previous; latest constitution passed by a national referendum on 30 July 2023 and validated by the Constitutional Court on 30 August 2023

amendment process:

• proposals require support of the government, two thirds of the National Council of Transition, and assent by the "Mediator of the Central African" crisis;
• passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the National Council membership;
• non-amendable constitutional provisions include those on the secular and republican form of government, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, or changes to the authorities of various high-level executive, parliamentary, and judicial officials

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

least one parent must be a citizen of the Central African Republic

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

35 years

chief of state:

President Faustin-Archange TOUADÉRA (since 30 March 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister Félix MOLOUA (since 7 February 2022)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

election/appointment process:

current president was directly elected for 5-year term; constitutional referendum in July 2023 removed term limits and instituted 7-year terms

most recent election date:

28 December 2025

election results:

• 2025: Faustin-Archange TOUADÉRA reelected president in first round;
• percent of vote - Faustin-Archange TOUADÉRA (independent) 76.2%, Anicet Georges DOLOGUELE (URCA) 14.7%, other 9.1%

expected date of next election:

December 2032

highest court(s):

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (number of judges unknown); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, at least 3 of whom are women)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the president;
• Constitutional Court judge appointments - 2 by the president, 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly, 2 elected by their peers, 2 are advocates elected by their peers, and 2 are law professors elected by their peers;
• judges serve 7-year non-renewable terms

subordinate courts:

high courts; magistrates' courts

• Action Party for Development or PAD
• African Party for Radical Transformation and Integration of States or PATRIE
• Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP
• Be Africa ti e Kwe (also known as Central Africa for Us All or BTK)
• Central African Democratic Rally or RDC
• Central African Party for Integrated Development or PCDI
• Democratic Movement for the Renewal and Evolution of Central Africa or MDREC
• Kodro Ti Mo Kozo Si Movement or MKMKS
• Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD
• Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC
• National Convergence (also known as Kwa Na Kwa or KNK)
• National Movement of Independents or MOUNI
• National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP
• National Union of Republican Democrats or UNADER
• New Impetus for Central Africa or CANE
• Party for Democracy and Solidarity - Kélémba or KPDS
• Party for Democratic Governance or PGD
• Path of Hope or CDE
• Renaissance for Sustainable Development or RDD
• Socialist Party or PS
• Transformation Through Action Initiative or ITA
• Union for Central African Renewal or URCA
• Union for Renaissance and Development or URD
• United Hearts Movement or MCU

chief of mission:

Ambassador Martial NDOUBOU (since 17 September 2018)

chancery:

2704 Ontario Road NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-7800

FAX:

[1] (202) 332-9893

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.usrcaembassy.org/

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Melanie Anne ZIMMERMAN (since July 2025)

embassy:

Avenue David Dacko, Bangui

mailing address:

2060 Bangui Place, Washington DC 20521-2060

telephone:

[236] 2161-0200

FAX:

[236] 2161-4494

email address and website:

https://cf.usembassy.gov/

description:

• four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in the center;
• a five-pointed yellow star sits in the top left corner of the flag, on the blue band

meaning:

• combines the pan-African and French flag colors;
• red stands for blood spilled in the struggle for independence, blue for the sky and freedom, white for peace and dignity, green for hope and faith, and yellow for tolerance;
• the star represents aspiring to a vibrant future

title:

"La Renaissance" (The Renaissance)

lyrics/music:

Barthelemy BOGANDA/Herbert PEPPER

history:

adopted 1960; BOGANDA wrote the anthem's lyrics and was the first prime minister of the autonomous French territory

total World Heritage Sites:

2 (natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park; Sangha Trinational Forest

• enormous natural resources;
• extreme poverty;
• weak public institutions and infrastructure;
• political and gender-based violence have led to displacement of roughly 25% of population;
• Bangui-Douala corridor blockade reduced activity and tax collection;
• strong agricultural performance offset COVID-19 downturn

agriculture:

32.5% (2024 est.)

industry:

17.8% (2024 est.)

services:

40.5% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

9.5% (2024 est.)

male:

8.5% (2024 est.)

female:

10.6% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.1% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

33.1% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

imports:

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

3 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total subscriptions:

2,090 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

• government-owned network, Radiodiffusion Télévision Centrafricaine, provides limited TV broadcasting;
• state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately owned broadcast stations, as well as a few community radio stations;
• transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)

total:

1,000 (2022 est.) Data available for 2019 only.

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

• most of the military's heavy weapons and equipment were lost during the 2012–2014 civil war;
• prior to the war, most of its inventory was of French, Russian, or Soviet origin;
• in recent years, it has received some donated equipment from China and Russia, including armored vehicles, drones, helicopters, jet trainer aircraft, and some light weapons (2025)

note: the CAR was under a UNSC arms embargo from 2013-July 2024

• 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women;
• no conscription although the constitution provides for the possibility of conscription in the event of an imminent threat to the country (2025)

refugees:

53,378 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

469,342 (2024 est.)