Central African Republic

More Facts & Figures

National name: République Centrafricaine

Languages: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca, national), tribal languages

Ethnicity/race: Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

National Holiday: Republic Day, December 1

Religions: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant and Roman Catholic (both with animist influence) 25% each, Islam 15%

Literacy rate: 48.6% (2011 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP $3.672 billion (2011 est.); per capita $800. Real growth rate: 4.1%. Inflation: 2.6% (2011 est.). Unemployment: 8% (23% for Bangui) (2011 est.). Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber. Labor force: 1.926 million (2012) Industries: gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles. Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower. Exports: $168.7 million f.o.b. (2011 est.): diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco. Imports: $378.1 million f.o.b. (2011 est.): food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals. Major trading partners: Belgium, Italy, Spain, U.S., France, Indonesia, China, Cameroon (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 12,000 (2011); mobile cellular: 1,020,000 (2011). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001). Internet hosts: 20 (2011). Internet users: 22,600 (2011).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 24,307 km; paved: (2011 est.). Waterways: 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2004). Ports and harbors: Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga. Airports: 37 (2011 est.).

International disputes: about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist.

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