The Central African Republic (CAR) is a perennially weak state that sits at the crossroads of ethnic and linguistic groups in the center of the African continent. Among the last areas of sub-Saharan Africa to be drawn into the world economy, its introduction into trade networks around the early 1700s fostered significant competition among its population. The local population sought to benefit from the lucrative Atlantic, trans-Saharan, and Indian Ocean trade in enslaved people and ivory. Slave raids aided by representatives from the local populations fostered animosity between ethnic groups that remains today. The territory was established as a French colony named Ubangui-Shari in 1903, and France modeled its administration of the colony after the Belgian Congo, subcontracting control of the territory to private companies that collected rubber and ivory. Although France banned the domestic slave trade in CAR in the 1910s, the private companies continued to exploit the population through forced labor. The colony of Ubangi-Shari gained independence from France as the Central African Republic in August 1960, but the death of independence leader Barthelemy BOGANDA six months prior led to an immediate struggle for power.
CAR’s political history has since been marred by a series of coups, the first of which brought Jean-Bedel BOKASSA to power in 1966. BOKASSA’s regime was characterized by widespread corruption and an intolerance of opposition, which manifested in the disappearances of many who challenged BOKASSA’s rule. In an effort to prolong his mandate, he named himself emperor in 1976 and changed the country’s name to the Central African Empire. His regime’s economic mismanagement culminated in widespread student protests in early 1979 that were violently suppressed by security forces. BOKASSA, rumored to have participated in the killing of some young students after the protests, fell out of favor with the international community and was overthrown in a French-backed coup in 1979. After BOKASSA’s departure, the country’s name once again became the Central African Republic.
CAR’s fifth coup in March 2013 unseated President Francois BOZIZE after a mainly Muslim rebel coalition named the Seleka seized the capital and forced BOZIZE, who himself had taken power in a coup in 2003, to flee the country. Widespread abuses by the Seleka spurred the formation of mainly Christian self-defense groups that called themselves the anti-Balaka, which have also committed human rights abuses against Muslim populations in retaliation. Since the rise of the self-defense groups, conflict in CAR has become increasingly ethnoreligious-based, although focused on identity as opposed to religious ideology. Elections organized by a transitional government in early 2016 installed independent candidate Faustin-Archange TOUADERA as president; he was reelected in December 2020. A peace agreement signed in February 2019 between the government and the main armed factions has had little effect, and armed groups remain in control of large swaths of the country's territory.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "7 00 N, 21 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "622,984 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "622,984 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "0 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly smaller than Texas; about four times the size of Georgia" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "5,920 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Cameroon 901 km; Chad 1556 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,747 km, Republic of the Congo 487 km; South Sudan 1055 km; Sudan 174 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "0 km (landlocked)" }, "Maritime claims": { "text": "none (landlocked)" }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers" }, "Terrain": { "text": "vast, flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Mont Ngaoui 1,410 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Oubangui River 335 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "635 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "8.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 5.1% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "36.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "55.7% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "10 sq km (2012)" }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Ubangi river source (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo [m]) - 2,270 kmThe Central African Republic’s (CAR) humanitarian crisis has worsened since a coup in March 2013. CAR’s high mortality rate and low life expectancy are attributed to elevated rates of preventable and treatable diseases (including malaria and malnutrition), an inadequate health care system, precarious food security, and armed conflict. Some of the worst mortality rates are in western CAR’s diamond mining region, which is impoverished because of government attempts to control the diamond trade and the fall in industrial diamond prices. To make matters worse, the government and international donors have reduced health funding in recent years. The CAR’s weak educational system and low literacy rate have also suffered as a result of the country’s ongoing conflict. Schools are closed, qualified teachers are scarce, infrastructure, funding, and supplies are lacking and subject to looting, and many students and teachers are displaced by violence.
Rampant poverty, human rights violations, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and a lack of security and stability have led to forced displacement internally and externally. Since the political crisis that resulted in CAR’s March 2013 coup began in December 2012, approximately 600,000 people have fled to Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other neighboring countries, while another estimated 600,000 are displaced internally as of October 2019. The UN has urged countries to refrain from repatriating CAR refugees amid the heightened lawlessness.
(2019)" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "39.49% (male 1,188,682/female 1,176,958)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "19.89% (male 598,567/female 593,075)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "32.95% (male 988,077/female 986,019)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "4.32% (male 123,895/female 134,829)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3.35% (male 78,017/female 122,736) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "86.4" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "81.1" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.2" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "19.2 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "20 years" }, "male": { "text": "19.7 years" }, "female": { "text": "20.3 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "1.79% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "32.79 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "11.76 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-3.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country, especially in and around the capital of Bangui as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "43.1% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "933,000 BANGUI (capital) (2022)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.92 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.64 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "829 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "84.22 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "90.39 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "77.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "55.07 years" }, "male": { "text": "53.74 years" }, "female": { "text": "56.44 years (2021 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "4.09 children born/woman (2021 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "17.8% (2019)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 83.9% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 47.5% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 62.9% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 16.1% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 52.5% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 37.1% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current Health Expenditure": { "text": "7.8% (2019)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2015)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "1 beds/1,000 population (2011)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 53.8% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 12.4% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 29.9% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 46.2% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 87.6% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 70.1% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "2.9% (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "88,000 (2020 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "3,200 (2020 est.)" }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria and dengue fever" }, "water contact diseases": { "text": "schistosomiasis" }, "animal contact diseases": { "text": "rabies" }, "respiratory diseases": { "text": "meningococcal meningitis" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "7.5% (2016)" }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "20.5% (2019)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "1.8% of GDP (2019)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "37.4%" }, "male": { "text": "49.5%" }, "female": { "text": "25.8% (2018)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "7 years" }, "male": { "text": "8 years" }, "female": { "text": "6 years (2012)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "water pollution; tap water is not potable; poaching and mismanagement have diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation; soil erosion" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "Law of the Sea" } }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "49.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "0.3 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "22.44 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "8.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 5.1% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "36.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "55.7% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "43.1% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "forest revenues": { "text": "8.99% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Revenue from coal": { "coal revenues": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria and dengue fever" }, "water contact diseases": { "text": "schistosomiasis" }, "animal contact diseases": { "text": "rabies" }, "respiratory diseases": { "text": "meningococcal meningitis" } }, "Food insecurity": { "exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies": { "text": "due to conflict and population displacements - ongoing conflicts and population displacements due to armed violence that followed the December 2020 elections, adding to the already high levels of civil insecurity, coupled with restrictive measures to control the COVID‑19 pandemic, are expected to continue affecting agricultural activities and limit farmers’ access to crop‑growing areas and inputs, with a negative impact on 2021 crop production (2021)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "1,105,983 tons (2014 est.)" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Ubangi river source (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo [m]) - 2,270 kmSubsistence agriculture, together with forestry and mining, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of estimated GDP, although statistics are unreliable in the conflict-prone country. Timber and diamonds account for most export earnings, followed by cotton. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked geography, poor transportation system, largely unskilled work force, and legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is highly unequal and grants from the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. CAR shares a common currency with the Central African Monetary Union. The currency is pegged to the Euro.
Since 2009, the IMF has worked closely with the government to institute reforms that have resulted in some improvement in budget transparency, but other problems remain. The government's additional spending in the run-up to the 2011 election worsened CAR's fiscal situation. In 2012, the World Bank approved $125 million in funding for transport infrastructure and regional trade, focused on the route between CAR's capital and the port of Douala in Cameroon. In July 2016, the IMF approved a three-year extended credit facility valued at $116 million; in mid-2017, the IMF completed a review of CAR’s fiscal performance and broadly approved of the government’s management, although issues with revenue collection, weak government capacity, and transparency remain. The World Bank in late 2016 approved a $20 million grant to restore basic fiscal management, improve transparency, and assist with economic recovery.
Participation in the Kimberley Process, a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, led to a partially lifted the ban on diamond exports from CAR in 2015, but persistent insecurity is likely to constrain real GDP growth.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$4.483 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$4.354 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$4.195 billion (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "4.3% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "4.5% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "4.8% (2015 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$1.937 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "2.7% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "1.6% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "4.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "43.2% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "16% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "40.8% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "95.3% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "8.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "13.7% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "12% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-29.5% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "cassava, yams, groundnuts, taro, bananas, sugar cane, beef, maize, plantains, milk" }, "Industries": { "text": "gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, sugar refining" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "3.9% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "2.242 million (2017 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2017": { "text": "6.9% (2017 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "62% NA (2008 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2003": { "text": "43.6 (2003 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1993": { "text": "61.3 (1993)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.1%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "33% (2003)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "282.9 million (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "300.1 million (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-0.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "52.9% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "56% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "14.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$163 million (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$97 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2017": { "text": "$113.7 million (2017 est.)" }, "Exports 2016": { "text": "$101.5 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "China 41%, United Arab Emirates 19%, France 7% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "lumber, gold, diamonds, sea vessels, cocoa paste (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2017": { "text": "$393.1 million (2017 est.)" }, "Imports 2016": { "text": "$342.2 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "India 18%, France 12%, United States 11%, China 9%, Netherlands 7%, Belgium 7%, Malta 6% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, packaged medicines, natural gas, broadcasting equipment, second-hand clothing (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$304.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$252.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$779.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$691.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "605.3 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "593.01 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "593.01 (2015 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "591.45 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "494.42 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "3% (2019)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "7% (2019)" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "0.4% (2019)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "171.4 million kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "159.4 million kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "38,300 kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "50% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "50% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "2,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "2,799 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "2,193 (2018)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "less than 1 (2018 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "1,595,294 (2019)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "33.62 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "network consists principally of microwave radio relay and at low-capacity; ongoing conflict has obstructed telecommunication and media development, although there are ISP (Internet service providers) and mobile phone carriers, radio is the most-popular communications medium (2018)" }, "domestic": { "text": "very limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; with the presence of multiple providers mobile-cellular service has reached nearly 34 per 100 mobile-cellular subscribers; cellular usage is increasing from a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui (2019)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "government-owned network, Radiodiffusion Television Centrafricaine, provides limited domestic TV broadcasting; state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".cf" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "557,100 (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "4.34% (2019 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "499 (2019)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "less than 1 (2019 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "2 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "2" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "46,364 (2015)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "0 mt-km (2015)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "TL" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "39 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "1" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "1 (2019)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "37" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "1" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "11" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "19" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "6 (2013)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "24,000 km (2018)" }, "paved": { "text": "700 km (2018)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "23,300 km (2018)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, importers and exporters preferred routes through Cameroon) (2011)" }, "Ports and terminals": { "river port(s)": { "text": "Bangui (Oubangui)" }, "note": "Nola (Sangha)" } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Army (includes an air squadron, Escadrille Centrafricaine), General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG); Ministry of Interior: National Police (2021)", "note": "note - in 2019-2021, CAR created three Mixed Special Security units (Unités Spéciales Mixtes de Sécurité or USMS), regionally based battalion-sized units comprised of about 40% government and 60% rebel soldiers that are intended to provide security along transportation corridors and at mining sites; the units are intended to be transitional in nature with a scheduled deployment time of two years" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.7% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2016": { "text": "1.6% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "information varies; approximately 10,000 active troops, including an air component of about 200 and up to 2,000 Gendarmerie; approximately 2,000 Mixed Special Security Units (2021)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the FACA is lightly and poorly armed with mostly outdated weapons; since 2010, it has received small amounts of second-hand equipment from China, Russia, and Ukraine (2021)", "note": "note - since 2013, CAR has been under a UNSC arms embargo; the embargo bans all supplies of arms and related materiel to the country except to the CAR security forces if approved in advance by the relevant UN Sanctions Committee" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18 years of age for military service; no conscription (2021)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the 2013 coup resulted in the institutional collapse of the FACA; its forces were overwhelmed and forced to flee to neighboring countries; reportedly only 10% of the FACA returned after the coup, and it has struggled to rebuild in the years of instability since; the European Union, France, Russia, the UN, and the US are providing various levels of security assistance" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "
periodic skirmishes persist over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "5,702 (Democratic Republic of Congo) (2022)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "652,036 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005; tensions between ethnic groups) (2022)" } } } }