The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,

       Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;

       signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

      Geographic note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

      People———

      Population: 3,274,426 (July 1996 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 44% (male 724,914; female 718,423)

       15–64 years: 52% (male 839,118; female 877,069)

       65 years and over: 4% (male 53,418; female 61,484) (July 1996 est.)

      Population growth rate: 2.08% (1996 est.)

      Birth rate: 39.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Death rate: 17.64 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Net migration rate: −1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

       all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 111.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 45.86 years male: 45.03 years female: 46.71 years (1996 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 5.41 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)

       total population: 60%

       male: 68.5%

       female: 52.4%

      Government—————

      Name of country:

       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

      Type of government: 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 PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)

       elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last

       held 19 September 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - PATASSE

       received 52.45% of the votes and Abel GOUMBA received 45.62%

       head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE (since 6 June

       1996); appointed by the president

       cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

      Legislative branch: unicameral

       National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 19

       September 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of 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), judges appointed by

       the president; Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the

       president

      Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress

       (ADP), Tchapka BREDE; Central African Democratic Assembly (RDC),

       Andre KOLINGBA; Civic Forum (FC), Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA; Liberal

       Democratic Party (PLD), Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON; Movement for the

       Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), the party of the

       president, Ange Felix PATASSE; Movement for Democracy and

       Development (MDD), David DACKO; Marginal Movement for Democracy,

       Renaissance and Evolution (MDREC), Joseph BENDOUNGA; Patriotic Front

       for Progress (FFP), Abel GOUMBA; Social Democratic Party (PSD),

       Enoch Derant LAKOUE

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

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

       IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN,

       UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

      Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henri KOBA chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483–7800, 7801 FAX: [1] (202) 332–9893

      US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Mosina H. JORDAN embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00, 61 25 78, 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———

      Economic 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 13% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 80%. 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. A major plus is the large forest reserves, which the government is moving to protect from overexploitation. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. While diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased - leading GDP to increase by 5.5% - inflation rose to 45%, fueled