Central African Republic

republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986Independence 13 August 1960 (from France

Central African Republic as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalBangui
Area622,980 km2
1990

Every edition of Central African Republic

Populationas each edition published it
2.88 million July 1990 · 5.75m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 2.23% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 42.94 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.6 children per woman 1990 · 3.89 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
141 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 79.3 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $440 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition -3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Land useshare of 622,980 km2

arable land 3%meadows and pastures 5%forest and woodland 64%other 28%NEGL% permanent crops
Total area
622,980km2
land area: 622,980 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
5,203km total
Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km

Coastline

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

Natural resources

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil

Environment

  • hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas;
  • poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges;
  • desertification

Note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

People

14 fields
Population
2,877,365
(July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
44Death
18Net migration
0

Religion

indigenous beliefs 24%Protestant 25%Roman Catholic 25%Muslim 15%other 11%animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Labor force
775,413
(1986 est.); 85% agriculture, 9% commerce and services, 3% industry, 3% government; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

141 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

45 years male, 48 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

5.6 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Central African(s); adjective--Central African

Ethnic divisions

  • about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics;
  • 34% Baya, 27% Banda, 10% Sara, 21% Mandjia, 4% Mboum, 4% M'Baka;
  • 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are French

Language

  • French (official);
  • Sangho (lingua franca and national language);
  • Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili

Organized labor

1% of labor force

Government

Republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986

17 fields

National Assembly, 52 seats, elected 31 July 1987one dot, one seat

(total) RDC 52

Long-form name

Central African Republic (no short-form name); abbreviated CAR

Type

republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986

Capital

Bangui

Administrative divisions

  • 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular--prefecture) and 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular--prefecture economique);
  • Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga;
  • note--there may be a new autonomous commune of Bangui

Independence

13 August 1960 (from France; formerly Central African Empire)

Constitution

21 November 1986

National holiday

National Day (proclamation of the republic), 1 December (1958)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Centrafrican Democrtic Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne Kolingba

Suffrage

  • universal at age 21 President--last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held November 1993);
  • results--President Kolingba was reelected without opposition;
  • National Assembly--last held 31 July 1987 (next to be held July 1992);
  • results--RDC is the only party;
  • seats--(total) RDC 52

Communists

small number of Communist sympathizers

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET;
  • Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 483-7800 or 7801;
  • US--Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON;
  • Embassy at Avenue du President David Dacko, Bangui (mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui);
  • telephone 61-02-00 or 61-25-78, 61-43-33

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

The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a per capita income of roughly $450 in 1988.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.27billion
per capita $453; real growth rate 2.0% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate
30%in Bangui
(1988 est.)
External debt
$660million
(December 1989)

Overview

The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a per capita income of roughly $450 in 1988. Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the economy, with over 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1988 the agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP, mining and manufacturing 14%, utilities and construction 4%, and services 41%. Agricultural products accounted for about 60% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 30%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation infrastructure, and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development assistance plays a major role in providing capital for new investment.

Budget

revenues $132 million; current expenditures $305 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1989 est.)

Exports

  • $138 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
  • commodities--diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco;
  • partners--France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US

Imports

  • $285 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
  • commodities--food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products;
  • partners--France, other EC, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia

Industrial production

1.9% (1987 est.)

Electricity

35,000 kW capacity; 84 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

sawmills, breweries, diamond mining, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles

Agriculture

  • accounts for 40% of GDP;
  • self-sufficient in food production except for grain;
  • commercial crops--cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber;
  • food crops--manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $44 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-88), $38 million

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 66 total, 49 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
2runways 1,220-2,439 m
22

Networkskm

Highways
22,000Inland waterways
800
Highways: ; 458 km bituminous, 10,542 km improved earth, 11,000 unimproved earth · Inland waterways: ; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river

Highways

22,000 km total; 458 km bituminous, 10,542 km improved earth, 11,000 unimproved earth

Inland waterways

  • 800 km;
  • traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts;
  • Oubangui is the most important river

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • fair system;
  • network relies primarily on radio relay links, with low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication also used;
  • 6,000 telephones;
  • stations--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army, Air Force

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
642,207fit for military service
335,863
Defense expenditures
1.8%of GDP
or $23 million (1989 est.)

Branches

Army, Air Force

Central Intelligence Agency. “Central African Republic.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/central-african-republic/1990.

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