Central African Republic

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

Central African Republic as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalBangui
Area622,980 km2
1992

Every edition of Central African Republic

Populationas each edition published it
3.03 million July 1992 · 2.88m in 1990
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
5.5 children per woman 1992 · 5.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
135 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 141 in 1990
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

13 fields
Total area
622,980km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
5,203km
Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km

Land area

622,980 km2

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

Land use

  • arable land 3%;
  • permanent crops NEGL%;
  • meadows and pastures 5%;
  • forest and woodland 64%;
  • other 28%

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
3,029,080
(July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
43Death
18Net migration
0
Labor force
775,413
(1986 est.); agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)
Literacy
27%
(male 33%, female 15%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

135 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

46 years male, 49 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

5.5 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

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

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Languages

  • 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

19 fields

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), 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; formerly Central African Empire)

Constitution

21 November 1986

National holiday

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

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

  • unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional);
  • when they sit together this is known as the Congress (Congres)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981) Head of Government:: Prime Minister Edouard FRANCK (since 15 March 1991)

Political parties and leaders

  • Centrafrican Democratic Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA;
  • note - as part of political reforms leading to a democratic system announced in April 1991, 18 opposition parties have been legalized

Suffrage

universal at age 21

Elections

National Assembly:
  • last held 31 July 1987 (next to be held by end of 1992);
  • results - RDC is the only party;
  • seats - (52 total) RDC 52
President:
last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held by end of 1992); results - President KOLINGBA was reelected without opposition

Communists

small number of Communist sympathizers

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, 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, 61-25-78, or 61-43-33;
  • FAX [190] (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

Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the CAR | economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the countryside.

16 fields
Unemployment rate
30%in Bangui
(1988 est.)
External debt
$700million
(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$121 millionExpenditures
$193 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1991 est.)

Overview

Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1988 the agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP. Agricultural products accounted for about 60% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 30%. The country's 1991 budget deficit was US $70 million and in 1992 is expected to be about the same.

Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development assistance, particularly from France, plays a major role in providing capital for new investment.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)

Exports

$151.3 million (1990 est.)

commodities:
diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco
partners:
France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US

Imports

$214.5 million (1990 est.)

commodities:
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
partners:
France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia

Industrial production

0.8% (1988); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity

40,000 kW capacity; 95 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, 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

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $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 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 66 total, 52 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;
  • broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National | Gendarmerie, Police Force

3 fields

Branches

Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Police Force

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 677,889; 354,489 fit for military service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Central African Republic.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/central-african-republic/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →