Central African Republic




                                 Geography


Location:
     Central Africa, between Chad and Zaire
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     622,980 sq km
land area:
     622,980 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
     total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan
     1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline:
     0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
     none; landlocked
International disputes:
     none
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:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     5%
forest and woodland:
     64%
other:
     28%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife
     refuges; desertification
natural hazards:
     hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
     Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
     Law of the Sea
Note:
     landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa






                                  People


Population:
     3,142,182 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.16% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     42.3 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     20.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     137.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     42.54 years
male:
     41.07 years
female:
     44.06 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     5.42 children born/woman (1994 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)
Religions:
     indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim
     15%, other 11%
note:
     animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian
     majority
Languages:
     French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language),
     Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     27%
male:
     33%
female:
     15%
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)






                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
conventional short form:
     none
local long form:
     Republique Centrafricaine
local short form:
     none
former:
     Central African Empire
Abbreviation:
     CAR
Digraph:
     CT
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)
National holiday:
     National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)
Constitution:
     21 November 1986
Legal system:
     based on French law
Suffrage:
     21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Felix (Ange) PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) election last
     held 19 September 1993; PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel
     GOUMBA received 45.62%; next election schelduled for 1998
head of government:
     Prime Minister Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA (since 25 October 1993)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
     elections last held 19 September 1993; results - percentage 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)
Political parties and leaders:
     Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the
     party of the new president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Central African
     Democratic Party (RDC), 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; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African
     People (MLPC), Felix (Ange) PATASSE
Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
     ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
     NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Henri KOBA
chancery:
     1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 483-7800 or 7801
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
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




Overview:
     Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, remains the backbone of
     the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the
     countryside. In 1990 the agricultural sector generated about 42% of
     GDP. Timber accounted for about 26% of export earnings and the diamond
     industry for 54%. 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.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -3% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
     $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     -3% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     30% (1988 est.) in Bangui
Budget:
revenues:
     $175 million
expenditures:
     $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $123.5 million (f.o.b.1992)
commodities:
     diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco
partners:
     France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports:
     $165.1 million (f.o.b.1992)
commodities:
     food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment,
     motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial
     products
partners:
     France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria
External debt:
     $859 million (1991)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     40,000 kW
production:
     95 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     30 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of
     bicycles and motorcycles




Agriculture:
     accounts for 42% 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:
recipient:
     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
Currency:
     1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
     (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
     (1990), 319.01 (1989)
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


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     22,000 km
paved:
     bituminous 458 km
unpaved:
     improved earth 10,542 km; unimproved earth 11,000 km
Inland waterways:
     800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft
     dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Airports:
total:
     65
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
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




Branches:
     Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National
     Gendarmerie, Police Force
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 701,728; fit for military service 367,264
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.)