Central African Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 3,800,000), 240,534 sq mi (622,983 sq km), central Africa. The landlocked nation is bordered by Chad (N), Sudan (E), Congo (Kinshasa) and Congo (Brazzaville) (S), and Cameroon (W). Bangui is the capital and largest city. There are 14 prefectures, two economic prefectures, and the Bangui federal district.
Land and People
The terrain consists of a 2,000–3,000 ft (610–910 m) undulating plateau, mainly covered by savanna; dense tropical forests in the south; and a semidesert area in the east. The Bongo Massif in the northeast reaches a height of c.4,500 ft (1,370 m). The country is drained by numerous rivers, but only the Ubangi is commercially navigable. Rainfall is heavy in the south; the north is hot, dry, and subject to harmattan winds. There are no railroads, and the network of all-weather roads is inadequate; rivers are the chief means of transportation.
The population consists of approximately 80 ethnic groups, including the Baya, Banda, Sara, Mandija, Mboum, and Mbaka. There is a small European minority. Considerable migration of inhabitants from urban to rural areas has led to the uneven distribution of the population. Population density is low relative to other African nations, and the eastern portion of the republic is largely uninhabited. French is the official language, but Sango, the national tongue, is used as a lingua franca; Arabic, Hausa, and Swahili are also spoken. Roughly one fourth of the population practices traditional religions, about one half is Christian, and most of the remainder are Muslim. Among the country's educational institutions are a university at Bangui (founded 1970) and two agricultural colleges.
Economy
The overwhelming majority of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, although only about 3% of the land is under cultivation. Manioc, yams, millet, corn, and bananas are the main food crops. The principal cash crops and important exports are cotton, tobacco, and coffee; cocoa, rubber, and palm products are raised in the southwest. Timber is also an important export product. Cattle are raised in the western portion of the country.
Diamonds (the leading export), uranium, and gold are mined. Industry is limited to food, timber, and mineral processing and to the production of light consumer goods. Inadequate transportation has been a major obstacle to the country's economic development. The Central African Republic belongs to the Franc Zone and trades chiefly with France, Belgium, and Japan. Most exports are shipped via Pointe-Noire, in Congo (Brazzaville), more than 1,100 mi (1,770 km) away.
Government
Politics of the Central African Republic takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President is both head of state and head of government (with an executive Prime Minister. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The official government was deposed in March 15, 2003 by forces under the rebel leader François Bozizé, who promised elections in 18 to 30 months. A new cabinet was set up in April 1, 2003. Elections were held on March 13, 2005.
History
Between the 16th and 19th cent., much of the region was subject to devastating slave raids. The Baya people, seeking refuge from the Fulani of northern Cameroon, arrived in what is now the Central African Republic in the early 19th cent.; the Banda, fleeing the Muslim Arab slave raiders of Sudan, came later in the century. French expeditions, pushing out from the Congo, made treaties with local tribal chiefs and occupied the area in 1887.
The region was organized in 1894 as the colony of Ubangi-Shari and was united administratively with Chad in 1906 and incorporated into French Equatorial Africa in 1910. Chad later became a separate French territory. Much of the region was leased to French concessionaires, whose fostering of forced labor and other abuses sparked rebellions in 1928, 1935, and 1946. The population of Ubangi-Shari actively supported the Free French forces during World War II.
