lic Introduction

Background: The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the
Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three
tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a
civilian government was installed in 1993.

Central African Republic Geography

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 sq km

land: 622,984 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total: 5,203 km

border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic
Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan
1,165 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills
in northeast and southwest

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m

highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m

Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 3%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 5%

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

Central African Republic People

Population: 3,576,884

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414)

15-64 years: 53% (male 929,717; female 965,947)

65 years and over: 3.77% (male 59,364; female 75,557) (2001 est.)

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