Central African Republic

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

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

Manpower availability

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

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)

Telephones

16,867 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1987 est.)

Televisions

7,500 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

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.

Electricity

capacity: 40,000 kW production: 100 million kWh consumption per capita: 29 kWh (1993)

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

Exports

$154 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US, Spain, Iran

External debt

$904.3 million (1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

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

GDP composition by sector

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

GDP per capita

$800 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.1% (1995 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (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)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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 coordinates

7 00 N, 21 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total: 5,203 km border countries: 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, north of Zaire

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil

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

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

Capital

Bangui

Constitution

passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995

Data code

CT

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800, 7801

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

FAX

[1] (202) 332-9893

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

Independence

13 August 1960 (from France)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president

Legal system

based on French law

Legislative branch

unicameral

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

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)

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic;

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

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.)

Birth rate

39.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

17.64 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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

111.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 45.86 years male: 45.03 years female: 46.71 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 60% male: 68.5% female: 52.4%

Nationality

noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

Net migration rate

-1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

3,274,426 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.08% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

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.)

Total fertility rate

5.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 48 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 11 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 24 (1995 est.)

Highways

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

Ports

Bangui, Nola

Railways

0 km

Waterways

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