Central African Republic

Where is Central African Republic?

Located in Central Africa, Central African Republic has a 5,920.00 km border with Cameroon (901 km), Chad (1,556 km), Democratic Republic of the Congo (1,747 km), Republic of the Congo (487 km), South Sudan (1,055 km) and Sudan (174 km). Sporadic disputes exist concerning water and grazing rights along with the country's border with southern Sudan.

The capital of the Central African Republic is Bangui, which is located in the southern region of the country along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It covers a total area of 26 square miles and has a population size of Bangui is around 734,350, making this the largest city in the country. Since 1975, the population size here has increased significantly from approximately 279,800. The people living here are from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, a number of minority communities call this city home, including: French, Greek, and Portuguese. This city is most often recognized as the commercial and administrative center of the Central African Republic, therefore most of the visitors who come to here are on business, rather than visiting as tourists. Despite its lack of popularity with tourists, Bangui does offer a number of interesting sites. Bangui is located within a tropical savanna climate region and is situated very close to the equator, which results in relatively high temperatures all year round. On a yearly basis, this city receives 59.84 inches of precipitation.

Central African Republic is an African country covering 622,984.00 km². This makes it the 44th largest country in the world and slightly smaller than Texas. Its geographic coordinates are 7 00 N, 21 00 E and Bangui is the capital city.

The country is named for its geographic position.

Its ISO code is CF.

Geography

Central African Republic has a mean elevation of 635 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate with hot, dry winters and hot, wet summers. Its terrain is vast, from flat to rolling plateau with some hills.

Population

Central African Republic has a population of 5,507,257 making it the 116th largest in the world.

French is the official language. The major ethnic groups reported are Baya, Banda, Mandjia and Sara. The majority of the population practice indigenous religious beliefs.

The Central African Republic (CAR) recognizes 2 official languages: French and Sangho. The French language is an Indo-European language that has remained in place in the post-colonialism administration of government. It is spoken by less than 25% of the population. Sangho, however, is the most widely spoken language in this country and is used by approximately 92% of the population as either a native or second language. Additionally, it is one of the only African-based creole languages that is recognized as an official language in Africa. Many linguists classify it as a Northern Ngbandi language, although some dispute this claim. It is considered the language of business here. Visitors to the CAR should learn a few Sangho phrases before traveling. In addition to these 2 languages, researchers have identified at least 70 other languages in this country. In the northern regions, these languages tend to belong to the Bongo-Bagirmi language family. Near the southern border, Bantu minority languages are slightly more common. Additionally, American Sign Language is another minority language and one of the only non-indigenous languages utilized here.

The dialing code for the country is 236.

Government

Central African Republic is an independent country. It gained independence from France in 1960. Its constitution was last ratified in 2016.

The government of the Central African Republic is carried out as a semi-presidential republic, which means the country is led by both a president and a prime minister. The President is elected by the citizens of this country to serve a 5-year term as the Head of State. After taking office, this individual appoints the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister serves as the Head of Government and ensures the Council of Ministers carry out legislation. Legislative responsibility is held by Parliament, a bicameral body that is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate. This parliamentary model was just approved by constitutional ratification in 2016. Elections in the Central African Republic take place within a multi-party system, although a limited number of parties ever have significant government representation. Two of the major political parties with representation in the National Assembly are: the National Union for Democracy and Progress and the Union for Central African Renewal.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Central African Republic's GDP is $3,206,000,000.00 (USD) with $700.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 184th largest economy and its citizens the 218th richest in the world. The currency of Central African Republic is the Franc (XAF).

Its major export partners are Norway and China. Its main exports are diamonds, timber, cotton, and coffee. Its major import partners are Norway, France, and the United States. Its major imports include food, textiles, petroleum products, and machinery.

Flag

The current flag of the Central African Republic was officially adopted on December 1, 1958. It consists of four horizontal stripes of equal size, which are (from top to bottom): blue, white, green, and yellow. A single, red stripe runs vertically down the middle of the flag and a yellow, 5-pointed star is located in the top left corner. Each color and symbol on the flag of the Central African Republic has a special meaning that is centered around the idea of unity between Africa and Europe. The solitary star is said to symbolize the independence of this country. This flag was designed by Barthélemy Boganda, who served as the first Prime Minister of the newly independent Central African Republic. When this country became the Central African Empire, it changed its flag to the imperial symbol of Emperor Bokassa I. This new design was used from 1976 to 1979, when the nation returned to its original flag design.