The Central African Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the northeast, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 240,000 square miles (620,000 km2), and has an estimated population of about 4.4 million as of 2008. Bangui is the country’s capital city.
Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas but it also includes a Sahelo-Sudanian 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 Chari River, which flows north into Lake Chad.
Central African Country Information
Capital
(and largest city) Bangui
4°22′N 18°35′E
Official languages
French
Sango
Ethnic groups
33% Baya
27% Banda
13% Mandjia
10% Sara
7% Mboum
4% M’Baka
4% Yakoma
2% others
Demonym Central African
Government Republic
– President François Bozizé
– Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Legislature National Assembly
Independence
– from France 13 August 1960
Area
– Total 622,984 km2 (43rd)
240,534 sq mi
– Water (%) 0
Population
– 2009 estimate 4,422,000 (124th)
– 2003 census 3,895,150
– Density 7.1/km2 (223rd)
18.4/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate
– Total $3.641 billion
– Per capita $767
GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate
– Total $2.165 billion
– Per capita $456
Gini (1993) 61.3 (very high)
HDI (2011) 0.343 (low) (179th)
Currency Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone WAT (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+1)
Drives on the right
Calling code 236
ISO 3166 code CF
Internet TLD .cf