The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
FAX: [1] (202) 332–9893
telephone: [1] (202) 483–7800
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: The embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow
with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed
star on the hoist side of the blue band
Economy Central African Republic
Economy - overview:
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 54%.
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 likely
to contract in 2004. Distribution of income is extraordinarily
unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only
partially meet humanitarian needs.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $4.183 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
−7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
61.3 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
NA (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn,
bananas; timber
Industries:
diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of
bicycles and motorcycles
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2002)
Electricity - production:
106 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
98.63 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Exports:
$172 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners:
Belgium 41.8%, Italy 10.7%, Spain 9.8%, France 7.4%, Indonesia 6.6%
(2003)
Imports:
$136 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical
equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
France 27%, Cameroon 9.2%, US 5.3% (2003)
Debt - external:
$881.4 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $73 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France
(2000 est.)
Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible
authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code:
XAF
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699
(1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Central African Republic
Telephones - main lines in use:
9,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
13,000 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
international: country code - 236; 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 hosts:
6 (2002)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)
Internet users:
5,000 (2002)
Transportation Central African Republic
Highways: total: 23,810 km paved: 643 km unpaved: 23,167 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui