Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 provided courtesy of
the libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
======================================================
National Trade Data Bank
ITEM ID     : CI WOFACT WO0048
DATE        : Oct 28, 1994
 
AGENCY      : CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PROGRAM     : WORLD FACTBOOK
TITLE       : World Factbook: Central African Republic
 
Source key      : CI 
Program key     : CI WOFACT 
Update sched.   : Annually         
Data type       : TEXT 
End year        : 1994
Date of record  : 19941020
Keywords 3      :  
Keywords 3      : | Central African Republic 
 
 
                         Central African Republic
 
 
                                 Geography
 
Location:
     Central Africa, between Chad and Zaire
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     622,980 sq km
land area:
     622,980 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
     total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan
     1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline:
     0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
     none; landlocked
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain:
     vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in
     northeast and southwest
Natural resources:
     diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use:
arable land:
     3%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     5%
forest and woodland:
     64%
other:
     28%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife
     refuges; desertification
natural hazards:
     hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
     Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
     Law of the Sea
Note:
     landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
 
 
 
                                  People
 
Population:
     3,142,182 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.16% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     42.3 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     20.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     137.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     42.54 years
male:
     41.07 years
female:
     44.06 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     5.42 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Central African(s)
adjective:
     Central African
Ethnic divisions:
     Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%,
     Europeans 6,500 (including 3,600 French)
Religions:
     indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim
     15%, other 11%
note:
     animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian
     majority
Languages:
     French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language),
     Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     27%
male:
     33%
female:
     15%
Labor force:
     775,413 (1986 est.)
by occupation:
     agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%
note:
     about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)
 
 
 
                                Government
 
Names:
conventional long form:
conventional short form:
     none
local long form:
     Republique Centrafricaine
local short form:
     none
former:
     Central African Empire
Abbreviation:
     CAR
Digraph:
     CT
Type:
     republic; one-party presidential regime since 1986
Capital:
     Bangui
Administrative divisions:
     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
Independence:
     13 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
     National Day, 1 December (1958) (proclamation of the republic)
Constitution:
     21 November 1986
Legal system:
     based on French law
Suffrage:
     21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Felix (Ange) PATASSE (since 22 October 1993) election last
     held 19 September 1993; PATASSE received 52.45% of the votes and Abel
     GOUMBA received 45.62%; next election schelduled for 1998
head of government:
     Prime Minister Dr. Jean-Luc MANDABA (since 25 October 1993)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
     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)
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
     Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the
     party of the new president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Central African
     Democratic Party (RDC), Laurent GOMINA-PAMPALI; Council of Moderates
     Coalition includes; Union of the People for Economic and Social
     Development (UPDS), Katossy SIMANI; Liberal Republican Party (PARELI),
     Augustin M'BOE; Central African Socialist Movement (MSCA), Michel
     BENGUE; Concerted Democratic Forces (CFD), a coalition of 13 parties,
     including; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Francois PEHOUA;
     Central African Republican party (PRC), Ruth ROLLAND; Social
     Democratic Party (PSD), Enoch DERANT-LAKOUE; Civic Forum (FC), Gen.
     Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor
     KOMBOT-NAGUEMON; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African
     People (MLPC), Felix (Ange) PATASSE
Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
     ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
     NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Henri KOBA
chancery:
     1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 483-7800 or 7801
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Robert E. GRIBBIN
embassy:
     Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address:
     B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone:
     [236] 61-02-00, 61-25-78, 61-43-33, 61-02-10
FAX:
     [236] 61-44-94
Flag:
     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
 
                                  Economy
 
 
Overview:
     Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, remains the backbone of
     the CAR economy, with more than 70% of the population living in the
     countryside. In 1990 the agricultural sector generated about 42% of
     GDP. Timber 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,
     and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development
     assistance, particularly from France, plays a major role in providing
     capital for new investment.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -3% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
     $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     -3% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     30% (1988 est.) in Bangui
Budget:
revenues:
     $175 million
expenditures:
     $312 million, including capital expenditures of $122 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $123.5 million (f.o.b.1992)
commodities:
     diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco
partners:
     France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports:
     $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
External debt:
     $859 million (1991)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     40,000 kW
production:
     95 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     30 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of
     bicycles and motorcycles
 
 
Agriculture:
     accounts for 42% of GDP; self-sufficient in food production except for
     grain; commercial crops - cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops
     - manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
Economic aid:
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
Currency:
     1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05
     (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26
     (1990), 319.01 (1989)
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
Fiscal year:
     calendar year
 
                              Communications
 
Highways:
total:
     22,000 km
paved:
     bituminous 458 km
unpaved:
     improved earth 10,542 km; unimproved earth 11,000 km
Inland waterways:
     800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft
     dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Airports:
total:
     65
usable:
     51
with permanent-surface runways:
     3
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     20
Telecommunications:
     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
 
 
Branches:
     Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National
     Gendarmerie, Police Force
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 701,728; fit for military service 367,264
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.)
 
 
 
===========================================================================
This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 produced by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK (NTDB) CD-ROM,
November, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/11/v.1-2 / Presented by Raleigh Muns,
(srcmuns@umslvma.umsl.edu) University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.