The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Central African Republic People
Population: 3,576,884
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 43.23% (male 778,885; female 767,414)
15–64 years: 53% (male 929,717; female 965,947)
65 years and over: 3.77% (male 59,364; female 75,557) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.85% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 37.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 18.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 105.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 43.8 years
male: 42.17 years
female: 45.48 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.86 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 13.84% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 23,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African
Ethnic groups: Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%,
M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 1,500 French)
Religions: indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60%
male: 68.5%
female: 52.4% (1995 est.)
Central African Republic Government
Country name: conventional long form: Central African Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
local short form: none
former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
abbreviation: CAR
Government type: republic
Capital: Bangui
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga
Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
Constitution: passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7
January 1995
Legal system: based on French law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)
elections: last held 22–23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7
note: the National Assembly is advised by the Economic and Regional Council or Conseil Economique et Regional; when they sit together they are called the Congress or Congres
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (all judges appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress
or ADP [Francois PEHOUA]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC
[Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA];
Democratic Forum or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party
or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and
Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the
Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president,
Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel
GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [leader NA];
National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU,
OIC (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Emmanuel TOUABOY
chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483–7800
FAX: [1] (202) 332–9893
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Robert C. PERRY
embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui
mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui
telephone: [236] 61 02 00
FAX: [236] 61 44 94
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