NON MEMBER COUNTRIES
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Order the complete Central African Republic file in French PRESENTATION OFFICIAL NAME : CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION : Limited to the north by Chad, to the east by Sudan, to the south by the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the west by Cameroon. AREA : 240 509 sq miles CLIMATE : 2 climatic zones are to be distinguished : CAPITAL : political : BANGUI MAIN CITIES : LANGUAGES - ETHNICAL GROUPS - RELIGIONS : Ethnical groups :
Baya, Mandja, Banda, Zandé et Nzakara HEALTH - EDUCATION : POLITICAL DATA : President of the
Republic : Mr. Ange-Félix PATASSE (since September 1993) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS : The Central African Republic is a member of several regional and international organizations, among which : ZONE FRANC, ASECNA, MAISON DE L'AFRIQUE, OHADA, ONU, OUA, CIMA, OAB, CEMAC, COBAC… FINANCIAL BACKERS : BAD, BEAC, WORLD BANK, AFD, BEI, FAGACE… ECONOMY AND FINANCE : CURRENCY : Franc CFA (1 € = 655.96 FCFA) GDP : 664.7 billion FCFA in 2000 GDP DISTRIBUTION : Primary sector : 51 % - Secondary sector : 17 % - Tertiary sector : 32 %
LIVE-STOCK : The Central African live-stock
comprises a total of 9,642,752 heads, including the poultry (3,717,796).
Breeding is practically completely in the hands of the Peuls. This sector
represents 24% of the agricultural GDP. Three modes of breeding are pursued
: pastoral, transhumant and sedentary. Breeding is in constant development. FISHING & HUNTING : Currently not regulated, fishing
is pursued on the Oubangui river and on its most important affluents,
as well as in the North and North-East's frequently flooded plains.
Fishing remains in the hands of peasants and rural development
services, and is not represented as an industry. Annual productions
estimates are 13,000 tons. Hunting brings non insignificant revenues
to the Central African Republic. This sector numbers some ten
companies settled on the Central African territory.
THE MINING SECTOR comprises mainly gold and diamonds,
and also other riches, such as iron, uranium, oil. Canadian companies
show a particular interest in mining gold and diamonds; they estimate
the Central African Republic's mining potential huge, especially for diamonds.
TEXTILE INDUSTRY : This sector, which should
be a leader of the industrial sector, lacks investment funds, and suffers
from outdated equipment. FOOD PROCESSING : It represents over one third
of the GDP of the secondary sector. The companies established in Central
Africa were prime beneficiaries of the devaluation and the recovery of world
wide rates. PUBLIC WORKS : Bouygues, Satom, Ger Tp, Soreiac,
Soccoba, Soca-construction, Gebo Sarl et Atib BIB occupy this sector which
underwent a severe crisis due among other factors to economic recession
and to the devaluation which raised the cost of foreign supplies; nevertheless,
it also enabled the initiation of numerous projects such as the urban
sanitation project of Bangui...
INFRASTRUCTURE & TRANSPORTATION : The Central
African Republic is connected by the trans-equatorial road up to Pointe-Noire
(Congo) and by the road leading to Douala (Cameroon). The Cameroonese
road is used to supply the country when the waterways are not navigable.
The transportation sector has been liberalized, and a PST (Sectorial Transportation
Project) elaborated at the institutionnal level in 1990 with the help
of financial backers; PST II will be terminated in 2000. River transportation
enjoys three harbours : Bangui, Zingha, Zangha. Of great economic importance,
the waterways are the country's main transportation system.
POST & TELECOMMUNICATIONS : The total number of telephone lines was 9,704 in 1998, or an average of 0.26 lines per 100 inhabitants. SOCATEL (Société Centrafricaine de Télécommunications) has been acquired by FCR (France Câble Radio) in 1998. The BANKING SECTOR, which started its restructuring
within the PAS III program, comprises 3 banks
: BICA, BPMC, UBAC. In 1998, the banks increased credit distribution to
the State and to other economic agents. Companies that ceased their activity
remain to be liquidated. PRIVATIZATIONS - TOURISM - HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION - ADDRESS BOOK…
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POPULATION : 2 463 616 inhabitants
(1998)
PRIMARY SECTOR
AGRICULTURE, a key sector of the
Central African Republic's economy, employs 66% of the active population.
Cotton is the main export crop, followed by coffee and tobacco. The main
subsistence crops are manioc, peanut, millet, sesame, rice and sorghum.
The Central African Republic and the French Development Agency have signed
several financing agreements in the last couple of years, bearing on the
development of subsistence crops.
FOREST
: It is one of the world's richest for its rare species.
It covers 5.5% of the Central African Republic's area, or 84 million
acres, more than 5.434 million of which are proper for lumbering.
The absence of regulations has resulted in the anarchic skimming
of noble species. In addition, log clearing creates serious difficulties.
Nevertheless, several parcelling projects have been undergone
(or are underway), as well as the rehaul of forestry laws.
