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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

NA telephones; system is only fair local: NA intercity: network consists principally of micowave radio relay and low capacity, low powered radio communication international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 718,487; males fit for military service 375,950 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) 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 [time series]

$123.5 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco partners: France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$859 million (1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$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

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

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

40% (1994 est.)

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

GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$700 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

5.5% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates about half of GDP. Timber has 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, 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 CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 40%, fueled by the rising prices of imports on which the economy depends. CAR's poor resource base and primitive infrastructure will keep it dependent on multilateral donors and France for the foreseeable future.

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (1988 est.) in Bangui

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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 - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

total 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: 0% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 64% other: 28%

Location [time series]

Central Africa, north of Zaire

Map references [time series]

Africa

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

Government

Abbreviation [time series]

CAR

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

Constitution [time series]

21 November 1986

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA (appointed 19 September 1994) chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800, 7801

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Ange PATASSE (since 22 October 1993); election last held 19 September 1993 (next scheduled for 1998); PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel GOUMBA received 45.62% head of government: Prime Minister (vacant) (Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA resigned on 11 April 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

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

[1] (202) 332-9893

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

[236] 61 44 94

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system [time series]

based on French law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, 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

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)) [time series]

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)

National holiday [time series]

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

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

Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the party of the new president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD), David DACKO; Marginal Movement for Democracy, Renaissance and Evolution (MDREC), Joseph BENDOUNGA; Central African Democratic Assembly (RDC), Andre KOLINGBA; Patriotic Front for Progress (FFP), Abel GOUMBA; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic;

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43% (female 690,290; male 694,153) 15-64 years: 53% (female 886,421; male 825,268) 65 years and over: 4% (female 64,846; male 48,781) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

41.84 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

20.89 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

135.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

775,413 (1986 est.) by occupation: agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3% note: about 64,000 salaried workers (1985)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 42.15 years male: 40.68 years female: 43.67 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 38% male: 52% female: 25%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

3,209,759 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.1% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

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 [time series]

5.37 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 61 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: 19 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 29

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Bangui, Nola

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

0 km