The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

41.3% (male 922,053/female 911,601) 15–64 years: 54.6% (male 1,206,121/female 1,221,158) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 71,597/female 111,800) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 18.7 years male: 18.4 years female: 19 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      1.509% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      33.13 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      18.04 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      NA (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 82.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 88.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 75.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 44.22 years male: 44.14 years female: 44.29 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      4.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      13.5% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      260,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      23,000 (2003 est.)

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

      Nationality:

      noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African

      Ethnic groups:

      Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%,

       Yakoma 4%, other 2%

      Religions:

      indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

      Languages:

      French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 48.6% male: 64.8% female: 33.5% (2000 est.)

      Education expenditures:

      1.4% of GDP (2006)

      Government

       Central African Republic

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga

      Independence:

      13 August 1960 (from France)

      National holiday:

      Republic Day, 1 December (1958)

      Constitution:

      ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004

      Legal system:

      based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      21 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (since 22 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (105 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KNK 42, MLPC 11, RDC 8, PSD 4, FPP 2, ADP 2, LONDO 1, independents 34, other 1

      Judicial branch:

      Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges

       appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National

       Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts;

       Inferior Courts

      Political parties and leaders:

      Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS];

       Central African Democratic Rally or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic

       Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for

       Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD

       [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Londo Association or LONDO; Movement for

       Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the

       Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix

       PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or

       KNK; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's

       Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity

       Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD

       [Enoch LAKOUE]

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

      Monam (combating gender-base violence)

      International organization participation:

      ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,

       ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO,

       ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,

       UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

      chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483–7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332–9893

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

      chief of mission: