Central African Republic

Broadcast media

government-owned network, Radiodiffusion Television Centrafricaine, provides domestic TV broadcasting; licenses for 2 private TV stations are pending; state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately-owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.cf

Internet hosts

20 (2012) country comparison to the world: 222

Internet users

22,600 (2009) country comparison to the world: 192

Telephone system

general assessment: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication domestic: limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular service providers, cellular usage is increasing from a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - main lines in use

5,400 (2011) country comparison to the world: 209

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.824 million (2011) country comparison to the world: 144

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $335.1 million expenditures: $352.2 million (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.8% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 54

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 78 4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 15% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

-$179.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 -$191.4 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$469.5 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 $404.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

61.3 (1993) country comparison to the world: 6

Economy - overview

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber and diamonds account for most export earnings, followed by cotton. 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. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Since 2009 the IMF has worked closely with the government to institute reforms that have resulted in some improvement in budget transparency, but other problems remain. The government's additional spending in the run-up to the election in 2011 worsened CAR's fiscal situation. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. In 2012 the World Bank approved $125 million in funding for transport infrastructure and regional trade, focused on the route between CAR's capital and the port of Douala in Cameroon. After a two year lag in donor support, the IMF's first review of CAR's extended credit facility for 2012-2015 praised improvements in revenue collection but warned of weak management of spending.

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 514.1 (2012 est.) 471.87 (2011 est.) 495.28 (2010) 472.19 (2009) 447.81 (2008)

Exports

$198.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 186 $186.3 million (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco

Exports - partners

Belgium 30.4%, China 17.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7.9%, France 7.1%, Indonesia 6.3%, Morocco 5.3% (2011)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.168 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.847 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 $3.695 billion (2011 est.) $3.578 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 56.4% industry: 14.9% services: 28.8% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$800 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 222 $800 (2011 est.) $800 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.1% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 3.3% (2011 est.) 3% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 33% (2003)

Imports

$341.2 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 195 $319.8 million (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Imports - partners

South Korea 45.8%, Netherlands 8.8%, France 7.2%, Cameroon 5.1% (2011)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2002) country comparison to the world: 99

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.5% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 0.1% (2011 est.)

Labor force

1.926 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 123

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Stock of broad money

$459.7 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 $406.6 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$510.6 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $444.7 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$372.8 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 166 $329.7 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.5% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Unemployment rate

8% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 note: 23% unemployment in Bangui

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

227,400 Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 120

Electricity - consumption

148.8 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182

Electricity - from fossil fuels

45.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

54.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 174

Electricity - installed generating capacity

46,000 kW (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 186

Electricity - production

160 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 117

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Refined petroleum products - consumption

3,175 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,481 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 176

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136

Area

total: 622,984 sq km country comparison to the world: 45 land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.03 cu km/yr (80%/16%/4%) per capita: 7 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

7 00 N, 21 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, South Sudan 990 km, Sudan 175 km

Land use

arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)

Location

Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

Natural resources

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

144.4 cu km (2003)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Laurence D. WOHLERS 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Stanislas MOUSSA-KEMBE chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893

Executive branch

chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Nicolas TIANGAYE (since 17 January 2013) cabinet: Council of Ministers (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 23 January 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Francois BOZIZE elected to a second term as president; percent of vote - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.4%, Ange-Felix PATASSE 21.4%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 6.8%, Emile Gros Raymond NAKOMBO (RDC) 4.6%, Jean-Jacques DEMAFOUTH (NAP) 2.8%

Flag description

four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; a yellow five-pointed star to the hoist side of the blue band; banner combines the Pan-African and French flag colors; red symbolizes the blood spilled in the struggle for independence, blue represents the sky and freedom, white peace and dignity, green hope and faith, and yellow tolerance; the star represents aspiration towards a vibrant future

Government type

republic

Independence

13 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

civil law system based on the French model

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (105 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 23 January 2011 and 27 March 2011 (next to be held in 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KNK 62, independents 26, MLPC 2, other 15

National anthem

name: "Le Renaissance" (The Renaissance) lyrics/music: Barthelemy BOGANDA/Herbert PEPPER note: adopted 1960; Barthelemy BOGANDA, who wrote the anthem's lyrics, was the first prime minister of the autonomous French territory

National holiday

Republic Day, 1 December (1958)

National symbol(s)

elephant

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Rally or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Londo Association or LONDO; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Martin ZIGUELE ]; National Convergence or KNK; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; New Alliance for Progress or NAP [Jean-Jacques DEMAFOUTH]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Monam (combating gender-base violence)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as severely flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 and launched a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - who are unhappy with BOZIZE's government - agreed to participate in peace talks in early January 2013.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,149,856 females age 16-49: 1,145,897 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 655,875 females age 16-49: 661,308 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 54,843 female: 53,999 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces (includes Military Air Service), General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), National Police (2011)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 141

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for selective military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2010)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.9% (male 1,039,808/ female 1,026,712) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 1,389,492/ female 1,414,881) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 73,983/ female 112,332) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

36.13 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 25

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

21.8% (2000) country comparison to the world: 27

Death rate

14.71 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 6

Education expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 160

Ethnic groups

Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

4.7% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 16

HIV/AIDS - deaths

11,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

130,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 36

Health expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 152

Hospital bed density

1.2 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

total: 97.17 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 4 male: 105.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Languages

French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 50.48 years country comparison to the world: 217 male: 49.23 years female: 51.76 years (2012 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56% male: 69.3% female: 43.2% (2010 est.)

Major cities - population

BANGUI (capital) 702,000 (2009)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 4

Median age

total: 19.3 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.7 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Physicians density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

Population

5,057,208 (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population growth rate

2.142% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Religions

indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 43% of population rural: 28% of population total: 34% of population unimproved: urban: 57% of population rural: 72% of population total: 66% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 7 years male: 8 years female: 5 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.57 children born/woman (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 29

Urbanization

urban population: 39% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 13,427 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2011) IDPs: 51,679 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005) (2012)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Central African Republic is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; the majority of victims are children trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, street vending, and forced agricultural, mine, market and restaurant labor; to a lesser extent, children are trafficked from the Central African Republic to Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo; rebels continue to abduct and exploit enslaved Sudanese, Congolese, Central African, and Ugandan children for use as cooks, porters, concubines, and combatants tier rating: Tier 3 - Central African Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government, which has limited human and physical capital, did not investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses, identify or provide protective services to trafficking victims, or take steps to raise public awareness about the dangers of human trafficking; the revised Central African penal code, enacted in January 2010, outlaws all forms of trafficking in persons, but awareness of this statute remains low (2008)

Airports

40 (2012) country comparison to the world: 105

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2012)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 6 (2012)

Ports and terminals

Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga

Roadways

total: 20,278 km (2010) country comparison to the world: 107

Waterways

2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, however, routes through Cameroon became preferred by importers and exporters) (2011) country comparison to the world: 35