Central African Republic

Republique Centrafricaine

republicIndependence 13 August 1960 (from France)

Central African Republic as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBangui

Position7 00 N, 21 00 E

Area622,980 sq km

LocationCentral Africa, north of Zaire

1996

Every edition of Central African Republic

Populationas each edition published it

3.27 million July 1996 est. · 2.88m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.08% 1996 est. · 2.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

45.86 years 1996 est. · 42.94 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.41 children per woman 1996 est. · 5.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

111.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 141 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$800 1995 est. · $440 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

4.1% 1995 est. · -3% in 1993

Geography

Central Africa, north of Zaire

15 fields

Land useshare of 622,980 sq km

arable land 3%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 5%forest and woodland 64%other 28%

Area

622,980sq km

land area: 622,980 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Land boundaries

5,203km

border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km

Climate

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

Terrain

vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest

lowest point:: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point:: Mount Gaou 1,420 m

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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

People

15 fields

Population

3,274,426

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 2.08% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

39.97Death

17.64Net migration

-1.53

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years45.86

45.03 · 46.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy60%

68.5% · 52.4%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 44% (male 724,914; female 718,423)
15-64 years:: 52% (male 839,118; female 877,069)
65 years and over:: 4% (male 53,418; female 61,484) (July 1996 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:: 0.87 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

111.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 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)

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; Prime Minister Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE (since 6 June 1996)

21 fields

Legislature, 85 seatsone dot, one seat

MLPC 33RDC 14PLD 7ADP 6PSD 3others 22

Name of country

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

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

National holiday

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

Constitution

passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage;
election last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1998);
results - PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel GOUMBA received 45.62%
head of government:: Prime Minister Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE (since 6 June 1996); appointed by the president
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of 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), judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president

Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Tchapka BREDE; Central African Democratic Assembly (RDC), Andre KOLINGBA; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the party of the president, Ange Felix PATASSE;

Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD), David DACKO; Marginal Movement for Democracy, Renaissance and Evolution (MDREC), Joseph BENDOUNGA; Patriotic Front for Progress (FFP), Abel GOUMBA; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Enoch Derant LAKOUE

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, 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, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Henri KOBA
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 Mosina H. JORDAN
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

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.

20 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$800

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

4.1%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Inflation, consumer prices

45%

(1994 est.)

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)

GDP composition by sector(1993)

agriculture 50%industry 14%services 36% (1993)

Installed generating capacity, 40,000 kW

Electricity production

100 millionElectricity consumption per capita

29 (1993)

Economic 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 13% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 80%. 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 the CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 45%, fueled by the rising prices of imports on which the economy depends;

inflation dropped back rapidly in 1995. The CAR's poor resource base and primitive infrastructure will keep it dependent on multilateral donors and France for the foreseeable future.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries

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

Agriculture

cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber

Exports

$154 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

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

Imports

$215 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

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

External debt

$904.3 million (1993 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) 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

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 48 in all

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

under 914 m

914 to 1 523 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

23,738Railways

0Waterways

800

Highways: paved: 427 km · unpaved: 23,311 km (1991 est.) · Waterways: ; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river

Highways

total:: 23,738 km
paved:: 427 km
unpaved:: 23,311 km (1991 est.)

Waterways

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

Ports

Bangui, Nola

Communications

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

9 fields

Fixed lines

16,867

(1992 est.)

Telephone system

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)

males age 15-49:: 737,330
males fit for military service:: 384,134 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 2.3% of GDP (1994)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Central African Republic.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/central-african-republic/1996.

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