One World
Nations Online

Central African Republic Flag detail
Home Earth Continents Africa Central African Republic
 

___ Central African Republic

Flag of Central African Republic
Central African Republic Flag
Location map of Central African Republic. Where in Africa is the Central African Republic?
Location map of Central African Republic
A virtual guide to the Central African Republic, known until 1958 as Ubanghi Shari, a landlocked country in Central Africa. The former French colony became independent in 1960. The CAR is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo to the south and Cameroon to the west.

The country occupies an area of 622,984 km², making it somewhat larger than France, or slightly smaller than Texas.
Most of the country's landscape consists of savannas, the Sahel covers the extreme north and there is equatorial forest, a forest and savanna ecoregion in the south.

The Central African Republic has a population of about 5 million people. Capital and largest city is Bangui. Spoken languages are French (official) and Sango.


Central African Republic | République Centrafricaine


Country Profile



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. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations, Chad, Sudan, and the DRC, continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.
Source: CIA - The World Factbook


related countries: France
 

 

Official Name:
République Centrafricaine
French abbreviation: RCA
Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka
int'l form: Central African Republic
formerly: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
English abbreviation: CAR

ISO Country Code: cf

Time:
Local Time = UTC +1h
Actual Time: Mon-Nov-11  11:02

Country Calling Code: +236

Capital City: Bangui (pop. 700 000)

Other Cities: Berberati, Bouar, Bambari, Bangassou, Bossangoa, Mbaiki, and Carnot.


Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France).

Geography:
Location: landlocked country in Central Africa, almost the precise center of Africa.
Area: 623,000 km² (242,000 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Rolling plain 600 meters-700 meters (1,980 ft.-2,310 ft.) above sea level; scattered hills in northeast and southwest, mainly savannah in the north and equatorial forest in the south. The Oubangui river, which forms the southern border and flows through the capital Bangui and then south to the Congo basin, is an important transport route.

Climate: Tropical, ranging from humid equatorial in the south to Sahelo-Sudanese in the north; hot, dry winters with mild to hot, wet summers.

People:
Nationality: Central African(s).
Population: 5 million (2011 UN est.)
Ethnic groups: More than 80; Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandja 13%, Mboum 7%, M'baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%.
Religions: Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, indigenous beliefs 35%.
Languages: French (official), Sangho (national).
Literacy: 50%

Natural resources: Diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil.

Agriculture products: Timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, foodcrops, livestock.

Industries: Diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles.

Exports partners:Norway 52.2%, China 14.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.3% (2015)

Imports partners:Norway 39.6%, France 6.8%, US 4.6% (2015)

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF)

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Sites of Central African Republic


Diplomatic Missions
MINURCA
United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic.


PNUD en République Centrafricaine
United Nations Development Programme of the Central African Republic (in French)



Maps

Map of Central African Republic
Political map of Central African Republic.
Administrative Map of Central African Republic
Map showing the administrative divisions of the Central African Republic.

Google Earth Google Earth Central African Republic
Searchable map and satellite view of Central African Republic.
Google Earth Google Earth Bangui
Searchable map and satellite view of the capital city of the Central African Republic.

Map of Africa
Political Map of Africa.
Relief Map of Africa


Fula women in Paoua, Central African Republic
Fula women (Peul) in Paoua, a town in the Central African Republic near the border with Chad.
Image: hdptcar
 

News

Agence Centrafrique Presse ACAP
Official Central African Republic news (in French).

Radio Ndeke Luka
Central African Republic Radio station broadcasting in French and Sango.


allAfrica.com: Central African Republic
CAR related news.
IRIN
Latest news from Central African Republic.

 

Bookmark/share this page
Instagram

Arts & Culture


no entry by now...
 
 

Business & Economy


Banque Centrale des Etats d'Afrique Centrale - BEAC
Central Bank of Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

IZF.net, le portail de la Zone Franc CFA
Information about business and investment in the Western African countries within the monetary system of the Franc Zone - CFA. (in French)

Société centrafricaine de Télécommunications (SOCATEL)
The Central African Company of Telecommunication (in French)

 

Capital City Bangui
Bangui
© banguinet.net

Destination Central African Republic - Country Information

The Central African Republic is trapped in a circle of extreme poverty with a situation comparable to some of the most serious humanitarian emergencies in Africa. The cause - ten years of recurrent armed conflict capped by a civil war between October 2002 and March 2003. Large numbers of people may perish from preventable diseases due to the complete collapse of basic infrastructure and social services, high insecurity and neglect by the international community.
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA

"The tremendous opportunities this country has. There is rain. There is water. There is fertile land. There is an enormous potential in agriculture. This country could become a bread-basket for the region." Bo Schack, UNHCR Humanitarian Coordinator in 2011.

Situation et présentation de la République Centrafricaine
Country profile by Sangonet (in French)

UNHCR - Country Information
The UN Refugee Agency about CAR.

OCHA: Central African Republic
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA about the situation in CAR.

Overview of Displacement in the Central African Republic
Study about Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Returnees in the Central African Republic.

Lonely Planet Destination Guide
Central African Republic Travel Information.

Images Sub-saharan Africa--People, Places, Sites
Images of Pygmies of Central African Republic.

 

Kids of Central African Republic
Kids of Central African Republic
© EC/ECHO/François Goemans

Education


Université de Bangui
Bangui University is a public university located in the country's capital Bangui.

International Network for Higher Education in Africa
The site provides a brief overview of the country's higher education institutions.
 
 

Environment & Nature


Bushmeat Crisis Task Force
BCTF is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife populations threatened by commercial hunting of wildlife for sale as meat.


Esi-africa.com: Central Africa
esi-africa.com provides utility news and information for the African power industry.

 
 

History


CAR 2005 - A chronology of key events
Reports on political events in Central African Republic during 2005.

BBC - Central African Republic profile - Timeline
A chronology of key events.

History of the Central African Republic
Wikipedia article about CAR's history.
 
 

 Support UNICEF

Other Countries of Central Africa
Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Dem. Rep. (Kinshasa), Congo, Rep. (Brazzaville), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe


Other Countries of Eastern Africa
Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
 
 
up