Central African Republic

I

Introduction

Central African Republic (CAR), landlocked republic in central Africa, bordered on the north by Chad, on the east by Sudan, on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, and on the west by Cameroon. A former French colony, which became independent on August 31, 1960, the CAR was known as the Central African Empire from 1976 to 1979 under the autocratic rule of the self-styled emperor Jean Bédel Bokassa. The CAR has an area of 240,324 sq mi). Bangui is the capital.

II

Land and Resources

The CAR is situated on the northern edge of the River Congo basin. Most of the land is a plateau that ranges in elevation from about 610 to 790 m (2,000 to 2,600 ft), and which forms the watershed between drainage northward to Lake Chad and southward to the Congo system. Two ranges of hills in the north and north-east rise to maximum heights of about 1,400 m (4,600 ft). Most of the country has a savannah vegetation—grassland interspersed with trees. Open grassland is found in the extreme north, and a dense tropical rainforest covers most of the south-west.

A

Rivers and Lakes

The country is drained by two major river systems, the Chari (Shari) in the north and the Ubangi in the south. The Chari drains into Lake Chad, and its main tributaries in the CAR are the Logone, Ouham, and Bamingui. The Ubangi is a tributary of the Congo and provides year-round navigation; it is the main outlet for the CAR’s external trade.

B

Climate

The climate of the CAR is tropical, being hot and humid. Temperatures vary little and average about 26° C (79° F). Tornadoes and floods are common at the onset of the rainy season, which lasts from May to November. Annual rainfall varies from about 1,780 mm (70 in) in the Ubangi valley to about 760 mm (30 in) in the semi-arid north-east and east of the country.