The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

forests and woodland: 75%

       other: 17% (1993 est.)

      Irrigated land: NA sq km

      Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

      Environment—current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation

      Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

      Geography—note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

      People

      Population: 3,444,951 (July 1999 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 44% (male 757,422; female 749,289)

       15–64 years: 53% (male 885,087; female 927,282)

       65 years and over: 3% (male 56,309; female 69,562) (1999 est.)

      Population growth rate: 2.04% (1999 est.)

      Birth rate: 38.28 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Death rate: 16.46 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Net migration rate: −1.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 103.42 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.19 years male: 45.35 years female: 49.09 years (1999 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 5.03 children born/woman (1999 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

      Ethnic groups: 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:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 60%

       male: 68.5%

       female: 52.4% (1995 est.)

      Government

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Central African Republic

       conventional short form: none

       local long form: Republique Centrafricaine

       local short form: none

       former: Central African Empire

       abbreviation: CAR

      Data code: CT

      Government type: republic

      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: passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7

       January 1995

      Legal system: based on French law

      Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)

       head of government: Prime Minister Anicet Georges DOLOGUELE (since

       January 1999)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;

       election last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1999);

       prime minister appointed by the president

       election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE elected president; percent of

       vote—PATASSE 52.45%, Abel GOUMBA 45.62%

      Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee

       Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve

       five-year terms; note—there were 85 seats in the National Assembly

       before the 1998 election)

       elections: last held 22–23 November and NA December 1998 (next to be

       held NA 2003)

       election results: percent of vote by party—MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD

       9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%,

       independents 6%; seats by party—MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 10, FPP 7, PSD

       5, ADP 4, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7;

       note—results of election are being contested

       note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional

       Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together

       they are called the Congress or Congres

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president

      Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and

       of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Movement for Democracy and

      International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,

       CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,

       IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC

       (observer), OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,

       WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

      Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

      Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. PERRY embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui

      Flag description: 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

      Economy—overview: Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 54%. 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. The 50% devaluation of