Central African Republic

Airports

total: 66 usable: 51 with permanent-surface runways: 3 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 20

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

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

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 685,575; fit for military service 358,836 (1993 est.)

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

Budget

revenues $175 million; expenditures $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991 est.)

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $52 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $1.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $38 million

Electricity

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

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January 1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988)

Exports

$138 million (1991 est.) commodities: diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US

External debt

$859 million (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$205 million (1991 est.) commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products partners: France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria

Industrial production

growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-3% (1990 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion (1990 est.)

National product per capita

$440 (1990 est.)

National product real growth rate

-3% (1990 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%. 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.

Unemployment rate

30% (1988 est.) in Bangui

Area

total area: 622,980 km2 land area: 622,980 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA km2

Land boundaries

total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km

Land use

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

Location

Central Africa, between Chad and Zaire

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil

Note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Terrain

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

Abbreviation

CAR

Administrative divisions

14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures*, (prefectures commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui** Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto,, Haute-Sangha, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga, Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France)

Capital

Bangui

Constitution

21 November 1986

Digraph

CT

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 483-7800 or 7801

Elections

President: last held 25 October 1992; widespread irregularities at some polls led to dismissal of results by Supreme Court; elections are rescheduled for 17 October 1993 National Assembly: last held 25 October 1992; widespread irregularities at some polls led to dismissal of results by Supreme Court; elections are rescheduled for 17 October 1993

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State: President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981) Head of Government: Prime Minister Enoch DERANT-LAKOUE (since 2 March 1993)

Legal system

based on French law

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)

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Names

conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Central African Empire

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Central African Democratic Party (RDC), the government party, Laurent GOMINA-PAMPALI; Council of Moderates Coalition includes; Union of the People for Economic and Social Development (UPDS), Katossy SIMANI; Liberal Republican Party (PARELI), Augustin M'BOE; Central African Socialist Movement (MSCA), Michel BENGUE; Concerted Democratic Forces (CFD), a coalition of 13 parties, including; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Francois PEHOUA; Central African Republican party (PRC), Ruth ROLLAND; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Enoch DERANT-LAKOUE; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor KOMBOT-NAGUEMON

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type

republic; one-party presidential regime since 1986

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert E. GRIBBIN embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61-02-00, 61-25-78, 61-43-33, 61-02-10 FAX: [236] 61-44-94

Birth rate

42.77 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

20.49 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 3,600 French)

Infant mortality rate

138.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 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; 55% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 42.94 years male: 41.46 years female: 44.45 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 27% male: 33% female: 15%

Nationality

noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

3,073,979 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

2.23% (1993 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

5.47 children born/woman (1993 est.)