Central African Republic

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

• tap water is not potable;
• poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges;
• desertification;
• deforestation

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.012 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.983 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.652 male(s)/female

total population:

0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

respiratory disease:

meningococcal meningitis (2007)

noun:

Central African(s)

adjective:

Central African

conventional long form:

Central African Republic

conventional short form:

none

local long form:

Republique Centrafricaine

local short form:

none

former:

Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation:

CAR

name:

Bangui

geographic coordinates:

4 22 N, 18 35 E

time difference:

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

• 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), 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

chief of state:

President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)

head of government:

Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005); note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005

cabinet:

Council of Ministers

elections:

• under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010);
• prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority

election results:

Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%

• Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
• Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges);
• Court of Appeal;
• Criminal Courts;
• Inferior Courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY

chancery:

1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-7800

FAX:

[1] (202) 332-9893

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS

embassy:

Avenue David Dacko, Bangui

mailing address:

B. P. 924, Bangui

telephone:

[236] 61 02 00

FAX:

[236] 61 44 94

note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff

• 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

lowest 10%:

0.7%

highest 10%:

47.7% (1993)

revenues:

$NA

expenditures:

$NA

general assessment:

limited telephone service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons

domestic:

network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

international:

country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

males age 18-49:

853,760

females age 18-49:

835,426 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

416,091

females age 18-49:

383,056 (2005 est.)

refugees (country of origin):

19,960 (Sudan), 3,325 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); note - UNHCR resumed repatriation of Southern Sudanese refugees in 2006

IDPs:

150,000 (ongoing unrest following coup in 2003) (2006)

current situation:

• Central African Republic is a source and destination country for children trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops and commercial labor activities;
• while the majority of child victims are trafficked within the country, some are also trafficked to and from Cameroon and Nigeria

tier rating:

Tier 2 Watch List - the Central African Republic failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons during 2005, specifically its inadequate law enforcement response to trafficking crimes