6,000 (1992 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
Defense note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
======================================================================
@Central African Republic————————————
Map—
Location: 7 00 N, 21 00 E—Central Africa, north of Zaire
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
Geography————
Location: Central Africa, north of Zaire
Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 21 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 622,980 sq km
land area: 622,980 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,203 km
border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km,
Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mount Gaou 1,420 m
Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 64%
other: 28%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished
reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern
areas; floods are common
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
People———
Population: 3,274,426 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 44% (male 724,914; female 718,423)
15–64 years: 52% (male 839,118; female 877,069)
65 years and over: 4% (male 53,418; female 61,484) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.08% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 39.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 17.64 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: −1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.87 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 111.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 45.86 years male: 45.03 years female: 46.71 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.41 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African
Ethnic divisions: Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%,
Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans 6,500 (including 3,600 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 60%
male: 68.5%
female: 52.4%
Government—————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Central African Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
local short form: none
former: Central African Empire
abbreviation: CAR
Data code: CT
Type of government: 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:
