Page last updated on January 30, 2014
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. In March, 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE 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 flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group the Lord's Resistance Army continues to destabilize southeastern Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch 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 - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership. In March 2013, the coalition government dissolved, rebels seized the capital, and President BOZIZE fled the country. Rebel leader Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency, reappointed Nicolas TIANGAYE as Prime Minister, and established a transitional government on 31 March. On 13 April 2013, the National Transitional Council affirmed DJOTODIA as President.
Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
total: 622,984 sq km
country comparison to the world: 45
land: 622,984 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly smaller than Texas
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
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
arable land: 2.89%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 96.98% (2011)
total: 0.07 cu km/yr (83%/17%/1%)
per capita: 17.42 cu m/yr (2005)
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
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
landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African
Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
5,166,510 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
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
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 1,058,523/female 1,045,664)
15-24 years: 20.2% (male 525,581/female 520,274)
25-54 years: 31.5% (male 814,003/female 815,169)
55-64 years: 3.9% (male 86,860/female 113,190)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 73,942/female 113,304) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 77.5 %
youth dependency ratio: 70.7 %
elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 %
potential support ratio: 14.7 (2013)
total: 19.3 years
male: 19 years
female: 19.7 years (2013 est.)
2.14% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
35.8 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
14.42 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
urban population: 39.1% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 2.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
BANGUI (capital) 740,000 (2011)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 5
total: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 4
male: 102.83 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 87.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 50.9 years
country comparison to the world: 218
male: 49.64 years
female: 52.2 years (2013 est.)
4.52 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
3.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 171
0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
4.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
130,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
11,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2013)
3.5% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 175
28% (2006)
country comparison to the world: 21
1.2% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 169
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.6%
male: 69.6%
female: 44.2% (2011 est.)
total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 5 years (2011)
total number: 532,518
percentage: 47 % (2006 est.)
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
name: Bangui
geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
13 August 1960 (from France)
Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
several previous; latest ratified by referendum 5 December 2004, effective 27 December 2004; amended 2010 (2010)
civil law system based on the French model
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Interim President Catherine SAMBA-PANZA (since 20 January 2014); elected by the National Transitional Council to replace Interim President Alexandre-Ferdinand NGUENDET, who took over after the resignation of Interim President DJOTODIA
head of government: Prime Minister Nicolas TIANGAYE (since 17 January 2013); note - resigned 10 January 2014, no replacement has been named
cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 2014 - as specified in the January 2013 Libreville agreement); 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%; note - rebel forces seized the capital in March 2013, forcing former president BOZIZE to flee the country; Interim President Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency, reinstated the Prime Minister, established a transitional government, and was subsequently affirmed as President by the National Transitional Council on 13 April 2013
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
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, at least 3 of which are women)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judge appointments - 2 by the president, 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly, 2 elected by their peers, 2 are advocates elected by their peers, and 2 are law professors elected by their peers; judges serve 7-year non-renewable terms
subordinate courts: high courts; magistrates' courts
Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanislas MOUSSA-KEMBE (since 24 August 2009)
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
chief of mission: Ambassador Laurence D. WOHLERS (since September 2010)
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone: [236] 21 61 02 00
FAX: [236] 21 61 44 94
note: the embassy temporarily suspended operations in December, 2012
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
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
Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry and mining, 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 2012-15 praised improvements in revenue collection but warned of weak management of spending.
$3.849 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$2.143 billion (2012 est.)
4.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$900 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
3.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
household consumption: 91.3%
government consumption: 8.4%
investment in fixed capital: 13%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 12.7%
imports of goods and services: -25.5%
agriculture: 55.6%
industry: 14.7%
services: 29.7% (2012 est.)
cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, sugar refining
3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
2.082 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
8% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
note: 23% unemployment in Bangui
lowest 10%: 2.1%
highest 10%: 33% (2003)
61.3 (1993)
country comparison to the world: 5
revenues: $340.8 million
expenditures: $356.9 million (2012 est.)
15.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
-0.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
5.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 75
15% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$337.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$459.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
$507.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$-197.6 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$207.7 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee
Belgium 31.7%, China 27.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7.8%, Indonesia 5.2%, France 4.5% (2012)
$333.7 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Netherlands 20.3%, France 9.7%, Cameroon 9.1%, South Korea 9.1% (2012)
$632.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
160 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
148.8 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
44,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
43.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
56.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 118
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
3,175 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
2,318 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 126
293,900 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
5,600 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 209
1.07 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 157
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)
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)
20 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 221
22,600 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 192
39 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 106
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
total: 37
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m:
total: 20,278 km (2010)
country comparison to the world: 107
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
river port(s): Bangui (Oubangui); Nola (Sangha)
Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces (includes Military Air Service), General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), National Police (2011)
18 years of age for selective military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)
males age 16-49: 1,149,856
females age 16-49: 1,145,897 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 655,875
females age 16-49: 661,308 (2010 est.)
male: 54,843
female: 53,999 (2010 est.)
periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist
refugees (country of origin): 10,662 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2012)
IDPs: 825,000 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005; tensions between ethnic groups) (2014)
