Central African Republic is located in Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Central African Republic has borders with Congo (Kinshasa) for 1577km, Congo (Brazzaville) for 467km, Cameroon for 797km, Sudan for 1165km and Chad for 1197km.
Land in Central African Republic is vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest.
Central African land covers an area of 622984 square kilometers which is slightly smaller than Texas
As for the Central African climate; tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers.
Central African(s) speak French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages.
Central African Republic country profile
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 - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist.
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 40%. 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. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth at only 0.5% in 2004 and 2.5% in 2005. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
Central African natural resources include diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Central African religion is indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%.
Natural hazards in Central African Republic include hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common.