View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1992 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

66 total, 52 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

22,000 km total; 458 km bituminous, 10,542 km improved earth, 11,000 unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 677,889; 354,489 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

revenues $121 million; expenditures $193 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $38 million

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$151.3 million (1990 est.) commodities: diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$700 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $1.3 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$214.5 million (1990 est.) commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products partners: France, other EC countries, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

0.8% (1988); accounts for 12% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

-3.0% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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%. The country's 1991 budget deficit was US $70 million and in 1992 is expected to be about the same. 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 [time series]

30% in Bangui (1988 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

none - landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Texas

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

622,980 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 64%; other 28%

Maritime claims [time series]

none - landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil

Note [time series]

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

622,980 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Bangui

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

small number of Communist sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

21 November 1986

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET; Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7800 or 7801 US: Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON; Embassy at Avenue du President David Dacko, Bangui (mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui); telephone 61-02-00, 61-25-78, or 61-43-33; FAX [190] (236) 61-44-94

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Assembly: last held 31 July 1987 (next to be held by end of 1992); results - RDC is the only party; seats - (52 total) RDC 52 President: last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held by end of 1992); results - President KOLINGBA was reelected without opposition

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

13 August 1960 (from France; formerly Central African Empire)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State:: President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981) Head of Government:: Prime Minister Edouard FRANCK (since 15 March 1991)

Legal system [time series]

based on French law

Legislative branch [time series]

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)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Central African Republic (no short-form name); abbreviated CAR

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Centrafrican Democratic Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA; note - as part of political reforms leading to a democratic system announced in April 1991, 18 opposition parties have been legalized

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 21

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986

People

Birth rate [time series]

43 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

18 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are French

Infant mortality rate [time series]

135 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

775,413 (1986 est.); agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

46 years male, 49 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

27% (male 33%, female 15%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Central African(s); adjective - Central African

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

1% of labor force

Population [time series]

3,029,080 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.5 children born/woman (1992)