NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Central Africa Republic

The Central African Republic (French: République Centrafricaine /ʀepyblik sɑ̃tʀafʀikɛn/ or Centrafrique /sɑ̃tʀafʀik/) is a landlocked country in central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan on the east, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the south, and Cameroon on the west. Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas but it also includes a Sahelo-Sudanese zone in the north and an Equatorial forest zone in the south. Two thirds of the country lies in the basins of the Ubangi river, which flows south into the Congo River, while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Shari river, which flows north into Lake Chad. Since most of the territory is located in the Ubangi and Shari river basins, the French called the colony it carved out in this region Ubangi-Shari, or Oubangui-Chari in French. This French colony of Ubangi-Shari became a semi-autonomous territory of the French Community in 1958 and then an independent nation on 13 August 1960. For over three decades since independence the CAR was ruled by presidents who were not chosen in truly democratic elections or who took power by force. The first fair democratic elections were held in 1993 and brought Ange-Félix Patassé to power, but President Patassé was overthrown by General François Bozizé in 2003. General Bozizé won a democratic election in May 2005 and remains in power today. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Central_African_Republic. ... This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Flag ratio: 3:5 The flag of the Central African Republic was adopted on December 1, 1958. ... This page lists state and national mottos for the worlds independent states and their subdivisions. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their official national song. ... La Renaissance is the national anthem of the Central African Republic. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Bangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. ... Demographics of Central African Republic, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... Bangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ... List of Heads of State of Central African Republic and Central African Empire (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Affiliations:- See also:- Central African Republic Central African Empire Heads of Government of the Central African Republic (and Central African Empire) Colonial Heads of Central Africa Lists of... The Prime Minister of the Central African Republic is the head of government. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© Yangouvonda (born October 14, 1946) is the current President of the Central African Republic. ... Ã‰lie DotÃ© (born 1947?) is the current Prime Minister of the Central African Republic. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 kmÂ² and 100,000 kmÂ². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... World map of the population density in 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Map of countries by population This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, with population figures estimated for 1 July 2005 (rounded to the nearest 1,000). ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries/dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The figures in the following table are based on areas including inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of world GDP (PPP) by country using the IMF and World Bank lists for 2004 There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... Map of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita, based on the 2004 IMF data. ... World map indicating HDI of UN member states, 2003. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... World map indicating HDI of UN member states, 2003. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Daylight saving time (DST), often referred to as daylight savings time, is a widely used system of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from its official standard time for the summer months. ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... The following is a list of currently existing Internet Top-level domains (TLDs). ... .cf is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Central African Republic. ... // At a glance In depth Zone 1 â€“ North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ... IPA may refer to: The International Phonetic Alphabet or India Pale Ale ... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... The Ubangi River (also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in Central Africa. ... The Congo River (formerly known as Zaire River) is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Chari or Shari River is a 949-kilometer-long river of central Africa, flowing from the Central African Republic through Chad into Lake Chad. ... Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. ... Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. ... The French Community was the political entity which replaced the French Union, which in turn was the descendant of the French Empire following the Second World War. ... PatassÃ© with BozizÃ© in the background Ange-FÃ©lix PatassÃ© (born January 25, 1937) was President of the Central African Republic from 1993 until 2003, when he was deposed by the rebel leader FranÃ§ois BozizÃ©. PatassÃ© was born in Paoua. ... FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© Yangouvonda (born October 14, 1946) is the current President of the Central African Republic. ...

History

The Central African Republic is believed to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by overlapping empires, including the Kanem-Bornu, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, and Dafour groups based around Lake Chad region and along Upper Nile. ...

Pre-history

Between about 1000 BCE and 1000 CE, Adamawa-Eastern-speaking peoples spread eastward from Cameroon to Sudan and settled in most of the territory of the CAR. During the same period, a much smaller number of Bantu-speaking immigrants settled in southwestern CAR and some Central Sudanic-speaking populations settled along the CAR's northern borderlands with Chad. The majority of the CAR's inhabitants thus speak Adamawa-Eastern languages or Bantu languages belonging to the Niger-Congo family. A minority speak Central Sudanic languages of the Nilo-Saharan family. More recent immigrants include many Muslim merchants who most often speak Arabic or Hausa. The Adamawa-Ubangi languages are spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, southern Central African Republic, by a total of about 12 million people. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... Central Sudanic is a grouping of about thirty languages of the Nilo-Saharan language family. ... Map showing the distribution of Niger-Congo languages The Niger-Congo languages constitute one of the worlds major language families, and Africas largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ...

Exposure to the outside world

Until the early 1800s, the peoples of the CAR lived beyond the expanding Islamic frontier in the Sudanic zone of Africa and thus had relatively little contact with world religions or the world economy. During the first decades of the nineteenth century, however, Muslim traders began increasingly to penetrate the region of the CAR and to cultivate special relations with local leaders in order to facilitate their trade and settlement in the region. The initial arrival of Muslim traders in the early 1800s was relatively peaceful and depended upon the support of local peoples, but after about 1850, slave traders with well-armed soldiers began to penetrate the region. Between c. 1860 and 1910, slave traders from Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Dar al-Kuti in northern CAR and Nzakara and Zande states in southeastern CAR exported much of the population of eastern CAR, a region with very few inhabitants today. Note: Zande is also a variant spelling of Azande, the name of a people of north central Africa, and of their language. ...

French colonialism

European penetration of Central African territory began in the late nineteenth century during the Scramble for Africa (c. 1875-1900). Count Savorgnan de Brazza took the lead in establishing the French Congo with headquarters in the city named after him, Brazzaville, and sent expeditions up the Ubangi river in an effort to expand France's claims to territory in Central Africa. King Leopold II of Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom also competed to establish their claims to territory in the Central African region. In 1889 the French established a post on the Ubangi river at Bangui, the future capital of Ubangi-Shari and the CAR. De Brazza then sent expeditions in 1890-91 up the Sangha River in what is now southwestern CAR, up the center of the Ubangi basin toward Lake Chad, and eastward along the Ubangi river toward the Nile. De Brazza and the procolonial in France wished to expand the borders of the French Congo to link up with French territories in West Africa, North Africa and East Africa. In 1894, the French Congo's borders with Leopold II's Congo Free State and German Cameroon were fixed by diplomatic agreements. Then, in 1899, the French Congo's border with Sudan was fixed along the Congo-Nile watershed, leaving France without her much coveted outlet on the Nile and turning southeastern Ubangi-Shari into a cul-de-sac. The Scramble for Africa (AKA Race for Africa) was the period between the 1880s and the start of World War I, when colonial empires in Africa proliferated more rapidly than anywhere else on the globe. ... Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza (January 26, 1852 - September 14, 1905) was an explorer of Italian nationality. ... French Congo was the original French colony established in the present-day area of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. ... Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA. Brazzaville is the capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo and is located on the Congo River. ... King Leopold II Leopold II, King of the Belgians (Louis Philippe Marie Victor) (April 9, 1835–December 17, 1909), succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Bangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. ... Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. ... The Sangha River, a river in central Africa, is a tributary of the Congo River. ... Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... The Congo Free State was a kingdom privately and controversially owned by King Leopold II of Belgium that included the entire area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

Once European negotiators agreed upon the borders of the French Congo, France had to decide how to pay for the costly occupation, administration, and development of the territory. The reported financial successes of Leopold II's concessionary companies in the Congo Free State convinced the French government in 1899 to grant 17 private companies large concessions in the Ubangi-Shari region. In return for the right to exploit these lands by buying local products and selling European goods, the companies promised to pay rent to the colonial state and to promote the development of their concessions. The companies employed European and African agents who frequently used extremely brutal and atrocious methods to force Central Africans to work for them. At the same time, the French colonial administration began to force Central Africans to pay taxes and to provide the state with free labor. The companies and French administration often collaborated in their efforts to force Central Africans to work for their benefit, but they also often found themselves at odds. Some French officials reported abuses committed by private company militias and even by their own colonial colleagues and troops, but efforts to bring these criminals to justice almost always failed. When news of terrible atrocities committed against Central Africans by concessionary company employees and colonial officials or troops reached France and caused an outcry, there were investigations and some feeble attempts at reform, but the situation on the ground in Ubangi-Shari remained essentially the same.

In the meantime, during the first decade of French colonial rule (c. 1900-1910), the rulers of African states in the Ubangi-Shari region increased their slave raiding activities and also their sale of local products to European companies and the colonial state. They took advantage of their treaties with the French to procure more weapons which were used to capture more slaves and so much of the eastern half of Ubangi-Shari was depopulated as a result of the export of Central Africans by local rulers during the first decade of colonial rule. Those who had power, Africans and Europeans, often made life miserable for those who did not have the power to resist.

During the second decade of French colonial rule (c. 1910-1920), armed employees of private companies and the colonial state continued to use brutal methods to deal with local populations who resisted forced labor but the power of local African rulers was destroyed and so slave raiding was greatly diminished. In 1911, the Sangha and Lobaye basins were ceded to Germany as part of an agreement which gave France a free-hand in Morocco and so western Ubangi-Shari came under German rule until World War I, duing which France reconquered this territory by using Central African troops.

The third decade of French colonial rule (1920-30) was a period of transition during which a network of roads was built, cash crops were promoted, mobile health services were formed to combat sleeping sickness, and Protestant missions established stations in different parts of the country. New forms of forced labor were also introduced, however, as the French conscripted large numbers of Ubangians to work on the Congo-Ocean railway and many of these recruits died of exhaustion and illness. In 1925 the French writer André Gide published Voyage au Congo in which he described the alarming consequences of conscription for the Congo-Ocean railroad and exposed the continuing atrocities committed against Central Africans in western Ubangi-Shari by employees of the Forestry Company of Sangha-Ubangi, for example. In 1928 a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara 'war of the hoe handle' broke out in western Ubangi-Shari and continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, perhaps the largest anticolonial rebellion in Africa during the interwar years, was carefully hidden from the French public because it provided evidence, once again, of strong opposition to French colonial rule and forced labor. AndrÃ© Paul Guillaume Gide (November 22, 1869 â€“ February 19, 1951) was a French author and, at times, a spokesman for gay rights (disputed â€” see talk page). ...

During the fourth decade of colonial rule (c. 1930-1940), cotton, tea, and coffee emerged as important cash crops in Ubangi-Shari and the mining of diamonds and gold began in earnest. Several cotton companies were granted purchasing monopolies over large areas of cotton production and were thus able to fix the prices paid to cultivators in order to assure profits for their shareholders. Europeans established coffee plantations and Central Africans also began to cultivate coffee. Cotton ready for harvest. ... Tea leaves in a gaiwan. ... Coffee in beverage form. ... For other uses, see Diamond (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ...

The fifth decade of colonial rule (c. 1940-1950) was shaped by the Second World War and the political reforms which followed in its wake. In September 1940 pro-Gaullist French officers took control of Ubangi-Shari. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Independence

On 1 December 1958 the colony of Ubangi-Shari became an autonomous territory within the French Community and took the name Central African Republic. The founding father and president of the "Conseil de Gouvernement," Barthélémy Boganda, died in a mysterious plane accident in 1959, just eight days before the last elections of the colonial era. On 13 August 1960 the Central African gained its independence and two of Boganda's closest aides, Abel Goumba and David Dacko, became involved in a power struggle. With the backing of the French, Dacko took power and soon had Goumba arrested. By 1962 President Dacko had established a one-party state. December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The French Community was the political entity which replaced the French Union, which in turn was the descendant of the French Empire following the Second World War. ... BarthÃ©lemy Boganda (4 April 1910 â€“ 29 March 1959) was the leading pre-independence nationalist in the Central African Republic. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Abel Goumba (born 1927) is the Vice President of the Central African Republic under François Bozizé. He was Prime Minister in the 1950s, and was appointed prime minister again in 2003 after a coup ousted the previous government. ... David Dacko (24 March 1930 – 20 November 2003) was the first post-independence President of the Central African Republic. ...

On 31 December 1965 Dacko was overthrown by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. President Bokassa declared himself President for life in 1972 and had himself named Emperor Bokassa I on 4 December 1977. Bokassa was crowned in a lavish and expensive ceremony that was ridiculed by much of the world. In 1979 France carried out a coup against Bokassa and "restored" Dacko to power. Dacko, in turn, was overthrown in a coup by General André Kolingba on 1 September 1981. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Jean-BÃ©del Bokassa (February 22, 1921â€“November 3, 1996) was the military ruler and emperor of the Central African Republic from January 1, 1966 until his overthrow on September 20, 1979. ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... AndrÃ© Diuedonne Kolingba (born August 12, 1935) was president of the Central African Republic from 1981 to 1993. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Kolingba suspended the constitution and ruled with a military junta until 1985. He introduced a new constitution in 1986 which was adopted by a nationwide referendum. Membership in his new party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain (RDC) was voluntary. In 1987, semi-competitive elections to parliament were held and municipal elections were held in 1988. Kolingba's two major political opponents, Abel Goumba and Ange-Félix Patassé, boycotted these elections because their parties were not allowed to compete. PatassÃ© with BozizÃ© in the background Ange-FÃ©lix PatassÃ© (born January 25, 1937) was President of the Central African Republic from 1993 until 2003, when he was deposed by the rebel leader FranÃ§ois BozizÃ©. PatassÃ© was born in Paoua. ...

By 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pro-democracy movement became very active. In May 1990 a letter signed by 253 prominent citizens asked for the convocation of a National Conference but Kolingba refused this request and detained several opponents. Pressure from the United States and, more reluctantly, from France, finally led Kolingba to agree, in principle, to hold free elections in October 1992. After using the excuse of alleged irregularities to suspend the elections, President Kolingba came under intense pressure from the international community to establish a "Conseil National Politique Provisoire de la République" (Provisional National Political Council) (CNPPR) and to set up a "Mixed Electoral Commission" which included representatives from all political parties. 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

When elections were finally held in 1993, Ange-Félix Patassé came in first in the first round and Kolingba came in fourth after Abel Goumba and David Dacko. In the second round, Patassé won 52.5 percent of the vote while Goumba won 45.6 percent. Most of Patassé's support came from Gbaya, Kare and Kaba voters in seven heavily-populated prefectures in the northwest while Goumba's support came largely from ten less-populated prefectures in the south and east. Furthermore, Patassé's party, the Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (MLPC) or Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People gained a simple but not an absolute majority of seats in parliament, which meant Patassé needed coalition partners.

Patassé relieved former President Kolingba of his military rank of general in March of 1994 and then charged several former ministers with various crimes. Patassé also removed many Yakoma from important, lucrative posts in the government. Two hundred mostly Yakoma members of the presidential guard were also dismissed or reassigned to the army. Kolingba's RDC loudly proclaimed that Patassé's government was conducting a "witch hunt" against the Yakoma.

A new constitution was approved on 28 December 1994 and promulgated on 14 January 1995, but this constitution, like those before it, did not have much impact on the practice of politics. In 1996-1997, three mutinies against Patassé's government was accompanied by widespread destruction of property and heightened ethnic tension. On 25 January 1997, the Bangui Peace Accords were signed which provided for the deployment of an inter-African military mission, the Mission Interafricaine de Surveillance des Accords de Bangui (MISAB). Mali's former president, Amadou Touré, served as chief mediator and brokered the entry of ex-mutineers into the government on 7 April 1997. The MISAB mission was later replaced by a U.N. peacekeeping force, the Mission des Nations Unis en RCA (MINURCA). December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Amadou TourÃ© (born December 23, 1979) is a Burkinan football player who, as of 2004 was playing for ASFA Yennega. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1998 parliamentary elections resulted in Kolingba' RDC winning 20 out of 109 seats, which constituted a comeback, but in 1999 Patassé won free elections to become president for a second term. On 28 May 2001 rebels stormed stategic buildings in Bangui in an unsuccessful coup attempt. The army chief of staff, Abel Abrou, and General Francois N'Djadder Bedaya were shot, but Patassé regained the upper hand by bringing in at least 300 troops of the rebel leader Bemba from over the river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and by Libyan soldiers. May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Bemba, also known as Chibemba and Ichibemba, is a Bantu language that is spoken primarily in Zambia but is also spoken in surrounding countries. ...

In the aftermath of this failed coup, militias loyal to Patassé sought revenge against rebels in many neighborhoods of the capital, Bangui, that resulted the destruction of many homes as well as the torture and murder of many opponents. Eventually Patassé came to suspect that General François Bozizé was involved in another coup attempt against him and so Bozizé fled with loyal troops to Chad. On 25 October 2002 Bozizé launched a surprise attack against Patassé, who was out of the country. Libyan troops and some 1,000 soldiers of Bemba's Congolese rebel organization failed to stop the rebels, who took control of the country and thus succeeded in overthrowing Patassé. FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© Yangouvonda (born October 14, 1946) is the current President of the Central African Republic. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ...

François Bozizé suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet which included most opposition parties. Abel Goumba, "Mr. Clean", was named vice-president, which gave Bozizé's new government a positive image. Bozizé established a broad-based National Transition Council to draft a new constitution and announced that he would step down and run for office once the new constitution was approved. A national dialogue was held from 15 September to 27 October 2003, and Bozizé won a fair election that excluded Patassé, to be elected president on a second ballot, in May 2005. September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Politics

The country is currently under the rule of François Bozizé. A new constitution was approved by voters in a referendum held on December 5, 2004. Full multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections were held in March 2005, [1] with a second round in May. Bozizé was declared the winner after a run off vote [2]. FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© Yangouvonda (born October 14, 1946) is the current President of the Central African Republic. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in the Central African Republic on March 13, 2005 (first round) and May 8, 2005 (second round), marking the end of the transitional process that began with the seizure of power by FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© in a March 2003 coup. ... Runoff voting is a voting system used in single-seat elections. ...

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Prefectures of the Central African Republic, Sub-Prefectures of the Central African Republic The Central African Republic is divided into 14 provinces (capitals in parentheses): Bamingui-Bangoran (Ndélé) Basse-Kotto (Mobaye) Haute-Kotto (Bria) Haut-Mbomou (Obo) Kémo (Sibut) Lobaye (Mbaïki) Mambéré-Kadéï (Berbérati) Mbomou (Bangassou) Nana-Mambéré (Bouar) Ombella-MPoko (Bimbo) Ouaka (Bambari) Ouham (Bossangoa... Sub-Prefectures of the Central African Republic The Prefectures of the Central African Republic are divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-prÃ©fectures). ...

The Central African Republic is divided into 14 administrative prefectures (préfectures), along with 2 economic prefectures (préfectures economique) and one autonomous commune. The prefectures are further divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-préfectures). The term prefecture (from the Latin Praefectura) indicates the office, seat, territorial circonscription of a Prefect; consequentally, like that word, is its applied in English in relation to actual Prefects, whose title is just that (or the forms it takes in other, especially Romance, languages), in the broadest sense in... A commune is an administrative subdivision of various European and African countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Senegal, and the Scandinavian countries. ...

The prefectures include: Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kémo, Lobaye, Mambéré-Kadéï, Mbomou, Nana-Mambéré, Ombella-M'Poko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, and Vakaga; the two economic prefectures are Nana-Grébizi and Sangha-Mbaéré; the commune is Bangui. The Central African Republic is divided into 14 provinces (capitals in parentheses): Bamingui-Bangoran (Ndélé) Basse-Kotto (Mobaye) Haute-Kotto (Bria) Haut-Mbomou (Obo) Kémo (Sibut) Lobaye (Mbaïki) Mambéré-Kadéï (Berbérati) Mbomou (Bangassou) Nana-Mambéré (Bouar) Ombella-MPoko (Bimbo) Ouaka (Bambari) Ouham (Bossangoa... Bamingui-Bangoran is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Basse-Kotto is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Haute-Kotto is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Haut-Mbomou is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... KÃ©mo is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Lobaye is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... MambÃ©rÃ©-KadÃ©Ã¯ is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Mbomou is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Nana-MambÃ©rÃ© is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Ombella-MPoko is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Ouaka is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Ouham-PendÃ© is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Vakaga is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Nana-GrÃ©bizi is one of the 2 economic prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Sangha-MbaÃ©rÃ© is one of the 2 economic prefectures of the Central African Republic. ... Bangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. ...

Sub-Prefectures: see Sub-Prefectures of the Central African Republic. Sub-Prefectures of the Central African Republic The Prefectures of the Central African Republic are divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-prÃ©fectures). ...

Geography

This is an entirely land-locked nation within the interior of the African continent. Much of the country consists of flat, or rolling plateau savanna, typically about 1,640 feet (500 m) above sea level. In the northeast are the Fertit Hills, and there are scattered hills in southwest part of the country. To the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau with an altitude of 3,750 feet (1,143 m). Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 21 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 622,984 km² land: 622,984 km² water: 0 km² Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km... from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Savanna is a grassland dotted with trees, and occurs in several types of biomes. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a meter. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ...

Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River, with the Mbomou River in the east merging with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River. In the west, the Sangha River flows through part of the country. The eastern border lies along the edge of the Nile river watershed. The Congo River (formerly known as Zaire River) is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Mbomou River (sometimes transliterated Bomu) is a river that forms part of the boundary between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ... The Uele River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... The Ubangi River (also Oubangi) is a major tributary of the Congo River in central Africa. ... The Sangha River, a river in central Africa, is a tributary of the Congo River. ... There is also Nile, a death metal band from South Carolina, USA. The Nile in Egypt Length 6 695 km Elevation of the source 1 134 m Average discharge 2 830 m³/s Area watershed 3 400 000 km² Origin Africa Mouth the Mediterranean Basin countries Uganda - Sudan - Egypt The... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ...

Estimates of the amount of the country covered by forest ranges up to 75%, with the densest parts in the south. The forest is highly diverse, and includes commercially important species of Ayous, Sapelli and Sipo.[3] The current deforestation rate is 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace.

The climate of the C.A.R. is generally tropical. The northern areas are subject to harmattan winds, which are hot, dry, and carry dust. The northern regions have been subject to desertification, and the northeast is desert. The remainder of the country is prone to flooding from nearby rivers. A tropic is either of two circles of latitude: Tropic of Cancer, at 23Â½Â°N Tropic of Capricorn, at 23Â½Â°S Tropic is also the name of a town in Utah, United States. ... The Harmattan is a dry and dusty wind blowing south-west and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea from November to March and December to February. ... Ship stranded by the retreat of the Aral Sea Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. ...

Economy

The economy of the CAR is dominated by the cultivation and sale of foodcrops such as cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame and plantains. The importance of foodcrops over exported cash crops is indicated by the fact that the total production of cassava, the staple food of most Central Africans, ranges between 200,000 and 300,000 tons a year, while the production of cotton, the principal exported cash crop, ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 tons a year. Foodcrops are not exported in large quantities but they still constitute the principal cash crops of the country because Central Africans derive far more income from the periodic sale of surplus foodcrops than from exported cash crops such as cotton or coffee. Many rural and urban women also transform some foodcrops into alcoholic drinks such as sorghum beer or hard liquor and derive considerable income from the sale of these drinks. Much of the income derived from the sale of foods and alcohol is not "on the books" and thus is not considered in calculating per capita income, which is one reason why official figures for per capita income are not accurate in the case of the CAR. The per capita income of the CAR is often listed as being around $300 a year, said to be one of the lowest in the world, but this figure is based mostly on reported sales of exports and largely ignores the more important but unregistered sale of foods, locally-produced alcohol, diamonds, ivory, bushmeat, and traditional medicines, for example. The informal economy of the CAR is more important than the formal economy for most Central Africans. Economy - overview: The Central African Republic is classified as one of the worlds least developed countries, with an annual per capita income of $310 (2000). ... Binomial name Manihot esculenta Crantz The cassava or manioc (Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family) that is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrate. ... Binomial name Arachis hypogaea L. The peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the pea family Fabaceae native to South America. ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays ssp. ... Species About 30 species, see text Sorghum is a genus of about 20 species of grasses, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Africa, with one species native to Mexico. ... Pearl millet in the field Ripe head of proso millet The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. ... Binomial name Sesamum indicum L. Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. ... Plantains Plantains are hard, starchy bananas used for cooking, as contrasted with the soft, sweet varieties. ... In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is sold for money. ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... Coffee in beverage form. ... The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Bottles of cachaÃ§a, a Brazilian alcoholic beverage. ... For other uses, see Diamond (disambiguation). ... An elaborately carved ivory decoration Ivory is a hard, white, opaque substance that is the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, narwhal, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Diamonds constitute the most important export of the CAR, frequently accounting for 40-55% of export revenues, but an estimated 30-50% of the diamonds produced each year leave the country clandestinely.

The CAR is heavily dependent upon multilateral foreign aid and the presence of numerous NGO's which provide numerous services which the government fails to provide. As one UNDP official put it, the CAR is a country "sous serum," or a country hooked up to an IV. (Mehler 2005:150) The very presence of numerous foreign personnel and organizations in the country, including peacekeepers and even refugee camps, provides an important source of revenue for many Central Africans. NGO is an abbreviation or code for: Non-governmental organization Nagoya Airport (IATA code) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ...

The country is self-sufficient in food crops, but much of the population lives at a subsistence level. Livestock development is hindered by the presence of the tsetse fly. Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Binomial name Glossina morsitans The tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans, is a fly (order Diptera) that eats blood from animals, including humans. ...

Export trade is hindered by poor economic development, and the location of this country far from the coast.

The natural wilderness regions of this country had good potential as ecotourist destinations. The country is noted for its population of forest elephants. In the southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is a rain forest area. To the north, the Saint Florist National Park has been well-populated with wildlife, including leopards, lions, and rhinos. To the northeast the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park. However the population of wildlife in these parks has severely diminished over the past 20 years due to poaching, particularly from the neighboring Sudan. Binomial name Loxodonta cyclotis Matschie, 1900 Until recently, it was thought that the so-called Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was simply a subspecies of the African Savannah Elephant (Loxodonta africana). ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... Genera Ceratotherium Dicerorhinus Diceros Rhinoceros Coelodonta (extinct)Elasmotherium (extinct) A rhinoceros (commonly called a rhino for short) is any of five surviving species of odd-toed ungulate in the family Rhinocerotidae. ...

Demographics

The population has tripled since independence. In 1960 the population was 1,232,000. Demographics of Central African Republic, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

The nation is divided into over 80 ethnic groups, each having its own language. The largest ethnic groups are the Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, and Yakoma 4%, with 2% others, including Europeans. Of the religions, 35% are indigenous beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic, and 15% Muslim. The Baya (also called Baya-Mandjia) is the largest ethnic group in the Central African Republic. ... A people of the Central African Republic, some of whom also live in Congo (Kinshasa) and Cameroon and possibly in The Sudan. ... The Mandja (also: Mandjia, Mandija, Manja) are an ethnic group in the Central African Republic. ... a Sara woman about 1900 The Sara are an ethnic group in Central Africa. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…) is an adherent of Islam. ...

Culture

African Writers (by country): This is a list of prominent and notable literary figures from the African continent, listed by country, including poets, novelists, childrens writers, essayists, and scholars, listed by country. ... The Central African Republic includes many different cultures and musical forms. ... Holidays in the Central African Republic: Categories: Central African Republic ...

Miscellaneous topics

Telephone Network: The national network for fixed phones consists of some Panaftel microwave radio relay links (from Bangui to Bossembele, Baoro, Carnot, Berberati and on to Gamboula on the border with Cameroon). ... The Central African Republic is an active member in several Central African organizations, including the Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), the Central African Peace and Security Council (COPAX--still under formation), and the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC). ... The military of the Central African Republic (Forces armées centrafricaines or FACA), currently numbers at approximately 2,000, and military expenditures amount to 1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... Bill Clinton and Socks on a Central African Republic stamp set This is a list of people on postage stamps of the Central African Republic. ... The Central African Republic is one of 35 countries where Scouting exists (be it embryonic or widespread) but where there is no National Scout Organization which is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement at the present time. ...

External links

News

Overviews

Directories

Ethnic groups

Tourism

Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ...

Categories: African Union member states | Central African Republic | Landlocked countries This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including both internationally recognized and generally unrecognized independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The definition of continental subregions in use by the United Nations. ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Image File history File links LocationNorthernAfrica. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Image File history File links LocationWesternAfrica. ... Image File history File links LocationCentralMiddleAfrica. ... Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... Image File history File links LocationEasternAfrica. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ... Image File history File links LocationSouthernAfrica. ... Dependent areas are territories that for some reason do not possess full political independence or sovereignty as states. ... Motto: OIn tutela nostra Limuria (Limuria is in our charge) Anthem: God Save the Queen, Capital None Status Overseas territory of the United Kingdom Official language(s) English Commissioner Tony Crombie Administrator Tony Humphries Area - Total - % water Ranked 77 (United Kingdom) 60 kmÂ² 0 Population - Total - Density 3,500 58. ... Location Motto of the autonomous region: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Portuguese: Of the islands, the most beautiful and free) Official language Portuguese Capital Funchal Other towns Porto Santo, Machico, Santa Cruz, CÃ¢mara de Lobos, Santana, Ribeira Brava, CaniÃ§o Area 797 kmÂ² Population - Total (1991) - Density... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Plazas de soberanÃa (literally meaning places of sovereignty) is the term that has been historically given to the Spanish possesions in North Africa (as the opposite to what was a protectorate over the North of Morocco). ...

Contents

History

Pre-history

Exposure to the outside world

French colonialism

Independence

Politics

Administrative divisions

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Miscellaneous topics

External links

News

Overviews

Directories

Ethnic groups

Tourism

One quick question before you continue, thanks!

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Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Pre-history

Exposure to the outside world

French colonialism

Independence

Politics

Administrative divisions

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Miscellaneous topics

External links

News

Overviews

Directories

Ethnic groups

Tourism

One quick question before you continue, thanks!

What is your education level?

History