The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Central African Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
9,500 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
710 (1998)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Radios:
283,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2001)
Televisions:
18,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.cf
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)
Internet users:
2,000 (2002)
Transportation Central African Republic
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 23,810 km paved: 643 km unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
900 km
note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft
dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to
craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as
much as 1.8 m
Ports and harbors:
Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga
Airports:
50 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2002)
Military Central African Republic
Military branches:
Central African Armed Forces (FACA) (including Republican Guard,
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force), Presidential Security
Guard, Gendarmerie, National Police
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 858,671 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 449,466 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$13.43 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.1% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Central African Republic
Disputes - international:
internal political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap
into Chad and CAR, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both
countries; violent ethnic skirmishes persist along the border with
Sudan
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
======================================================================
@Chad
Introduction Chad
Background:
Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three
decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a
semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government
eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military
groups, settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable
to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution, and held multiparty
presidential and National Assembly elections in 1996 and 1997,
respectively. In 1998, a new rebellion broke out in northern Chad,
which continued to escalate throughout 2000. A peace agreement,
signed in January 2002 between the government and the rebels,
provides for the demobilization of the rebels and their
reintegration into the political system. Despite movement toward
democratic reform, power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic
oligarchy.
Geography Chad
Location:
Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1.284 million sq km
water: 24,800 sq km
land: 1,259,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 5,968 km
border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197
km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain:
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Natural resources:
petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron,
kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
Land use: arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.2% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts;
locust plagues
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in
rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine