Central African Republic

Geography

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country almost exactly in the middle of Africa a few hundred kilometers north of the equator. The land has a total area of 622,980 km² (240,534 mi²). This land area is approximately 90% of the area of Texas. Central Africa is thus the 20th biggest country in Africa and in terms of area ranked 44th worldwide. With 8.8 inhabitants per km² it is one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth. Only slightly less than half of all residents (43%) live within cities.

The Central African Republic lies at an average elevation of 635 meters above sea level. The highest mountain peak (Ngaoui) is at 1,420 meters. There is no access to the open sea. There are direct national borders with the six neighboring countries Cameroon, Chad, Congo (Dem. Republic), Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. The distance between New York City and the Capital Bangui is about 9,910 km (6,158 mi).

The climate in the Central African Republic

In the Central African Republic, as in all equatorial countries, there is a tropical climate. Unlike in Europe or the USA, there is almost no difference between the seasons. The daylight hours vary little, and the temperature differences between summer and winter are also lower. Depending on the season, the average daytime temperatures range between 30 and 36 degrees. In some parts of the country, the temperature rises to 40 °C. In the colder months, and depending in the region, the temperature drops to 17 °C in a month's average.

• Detailed climate data for the Central African Republic and 13 individual regions

Languages

Mother tongue	Distribution
Gbaya	23.8 %
Banda	23.5 %
Mandjia	14.8 %
Ngbaka	7.5 %
French	7.5 %
Sango	7.3 %
Mbum	6.4 %
Sara	6.4 %
other	2.8 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Roman Catholics	25.0%
Protestants	25.0%
Native religions	35.0%
Muslims	15.0%

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Economy

GDP:	2.52 bn $
Exportations:	113.7 M $
Importations:	393.1 M $
› Debt rate:	47.61 %
› Unemployment rate:	6.4 %
› Inflation rate:	4.26 %
› Corruption index:	24 (very bad)
› Energy consumption:	140.4 M kWh

Due to its political and financial situation, the Central African Republic is considered one of the least developed countries in the world and is also one of the heavily indebted poor countries.

In terms of revenues, it still ranks 189th in the world and, with an average annual income of 480 USD is one of the low-income countries.

Central Africa is considered one of the most dangerous countries worldwide.

Land use

8% Agricultural areas:	50,773 km²
36% Forest:	223,027 km²
56% Others:	349,180 km²

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Transport

Roadways:	24,000 km
Waterways:	2,800 km
› Airports:	1