IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer),OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Mattie R. SHARPLESS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address:
B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94
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. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton exports increased, leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995. Military rebellions and social unrest in 1996 were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and a drop in GDP of 2%. The IMF approved an Extended Structure Adjustment Facility in 1998 and the World Bank extended further credits in 1999 and approved a $10 million loan in early 2001. As of January 2002, many civil servants were owed as much as 16 months pay during the PATASSE administration, as well as 14 months pay from the KOLINGBA administration.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
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
Unemployment rate: 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (2001)
Electricity - production: 104 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 20.19% hydro: 79.81% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 96.72 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
Exports: $166 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners: Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt,
France (1999)
Imports: $154 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products
Imports - partners: France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire,
Germany, Japan (1999)
Debt - external: $881.4 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France
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 - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Central African Republic
Telephones - main lines in use: 10,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 570 (1997)
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 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios: 283,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
Televisions: 18,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .cf
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 1,500 (2001)
Transportation Central African Republic
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 23,810 km paved: 429 km unpaved: 23,381 km (2000)
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: 51 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 48 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 15 (2001)
Military Central African Republic
Military branches: Central African Armed Forces (FACA)
