TOTAL AREA: 622,980 sq km (240,221 sq mi); LAND AREA: 622,980 sq km (240,221 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly smaller than Texas
LAND BOUNDARIES: 5,203 km (3,232 mi) total; Cameroon 797 km (495 mi), Chad 1,197 km (743 mi), Congo 467 km (290 mi), Sudan 1,165 km (724 mi), Zaire 1,577 km (978 mi)
COASTLINE: none--landlocked
MARITIME CLAIMS: 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
LAND USE: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 64% forest and woodland; 28% other
ENVIRONMENT: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
TEMPERATURE: in degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Berberati 26 (79) 24 (76) 24 (75) 24 (76)
Bangui 27 (81) 26 (78) 25 (78) 26 (78)
Birao 29 (84) 28 (82) 26 (79) 24 (75)
PRECIPITATION: in centimeters (inches)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Berberati 9 (3.5) 15 (6.0) 22 (8.5) 2 (0.9)
Bangui 12 (4.9) 14 (5.3) 19 (7.3) 3 (1.3)
Birao 0 (0.1) 11 (4.4) 17 (6.7) 0 (0.0)
NOTE: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
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
RELIGION: 24% indigenous beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic, 15% Muslim, 11% other; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
LANGUAGE: French (official); Sangho (lingua franca and national language); Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
LITERACY: 20%
LABOR FORCE: 775,413 (1986 est.); 85% agriculture, 8.9% commerce and services, 2.9% industry, 3% government; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)
ORGANIZED LABOR: 1% of labor force
.GOVERNMENT OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
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
LEGAL SYSTEM: based on French law; Supreme Court, court of appeals, criminal court
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: National Day (proclamation of the republic), 1 December (1958)
BRANCHES: chief of state; parliament (includes National Assembly and a Social and Economic Council); separate judiciary
CHIEFS OF STATE AND HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)
SUFFRAGE: universal over age 21
ELECTIONS: none scheduled
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: political parties banned in September 1981; Centrafrican Democratic Rally Party, created in February 1987, is the only political party
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Ambassador Christian LINGAMA-TOLEQUE; Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7800 or 7801
U.S. FOREIGN SERVICE POST: Ambassador David C. FIELDS; 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 OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
OVERVIEW: The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a per capita income of roughly $400 in 1987. Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the economy, with over 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1986 the agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP, mining and manufacturing 14%, utilities and construction 4%, and services 41%. Agricultural products accounted for about 50% 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.
GDP: $1,106 million, per capita $410; real growth rate 1.4% (1987)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): - 7.0% (1987)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 30%, Bangui (1988 est.)
BUDGET: revenues $133.4 million; current expenditures $147.4 million, including capital expenditures of $13.6 million (1986)
EXPORTS: $131 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities-- diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco; partners-- France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
IMPORTS: $269 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities-- food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products; partners-- France, other EC, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia
EXTERNAL DEBT: $645 million (December 1988)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: 1.7% (1980-86 average)
ELECTRICITY: 35,000 kW capacity; 84 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1988)
INDUSTRIES: sawmills, breweries, diamond mining, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
HIGHWAYS: 20,800 km (12,916 mi) total; 454 km bituminous, 7,656 km improved earth, 12,690 unimproved earth
INLAND WATERWAYS: 800 km; (496 mi) traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
CIVIL AIR: 2 major transport aircraft
AIRPORTS: 68 total, 56 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: facilities are meager; network is composed of low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication stations and radio relay links; 6,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
.DEFENSE FORCES OF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
BRANCHES: Army, Air Force
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 624,282; 326,429 fit for military service
MILITARY BUDGET: NA
.TRAVEL IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Passport and visa required. Visa, valid 2 months, requires $20 fee, 2 photos, proof of onward/return transportation. If applying by mail, include SASE. Visa must be obtained before arrival and is also required for transiting the country. Do not display or use photographic equipment without special permission of the Ministry of Information. Vaccination certificate required for yellow fever.
HEALTH: Malaria suppressants are recommended; typhoid, polio and hepatitis inoculations recommended for travel to remote areas. Unwashed raw foods or undercooked meats are not safe to eat. Tapwater is not potable. Health requirements change; check latest information.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Lightweight, washable clothing is recommended. Bring a jacket or sweater for the rainy season, May-Oct.
TELEPHONE: Calls to Central African Republic should be placed through the operator.
TIME: 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 220V
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Falls at Boali and Kembe; National Museum in Bangui; Artisanal Center in Bangui for African art (especially ivory and butterfly wing art); tropical forest around Mongoumba; Parc St. Floris; the megaliths of Bouar.
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
