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Compare Central African Republic (2002) - European Union (2005)

Compare Central African Republic (2002) z European Union (2005)

 Central African Republic (2002)European Union (2005)
 Central African RepublicEuropean Union
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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 43% (male 788,417; female 776,721)


15-64 years: 53.2% (male 951,908; female 986,947)


65 years and over: 3.8% (male 60,395; female 78,351) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)


15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)


65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish
Airports 51 (2001) 3,130 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)
total: 1,834
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 47


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 13 (2002)
total: 1,296
Area total: 622,984 sq km


land: 622,984 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 3,976,372 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas less than one-half the size of the US
Background The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993. Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.

The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15.

A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it become the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 that rejected the constitution suspended the ratification effort.

Despite the expansion of membership and functions, "Eurosceptics" in various countries have raised questions about the erosion of national cultures and the imposition of a flood of regulations from the EU capital in Brussels. Failure by all member states to ratify the constitution or the inability of newcomer countries to meet euro currency standards might force a loosening of some EU agreements and perhaps lead to several levels of EU participation. These "tiers" might eventually range from an "inner" core of politically integrated countries to a looser "outer" economic association of members.
Birth rate 36.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10 births/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
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Capital Bangui Brussels, Belgium


note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg
Climate tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 65,413.9 km
Constitution passed by referendum 29 December 1994; adopted 7 January 1995 based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of the ratification process
Country name conventional long form: Central African Republic


conventional short form: none


local long form: Republique Centrafricaine


local short form: none


former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire


abbreviation: CAR
-
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States -
Death rate 18.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)
Debt - external $881.4 million (2000 est.) -
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Rockwell SCHNABEL


embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels


mailing address: same as above


telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222


FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY


chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800


FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON


chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500


FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
Disputes - international none the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries; it has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; the 10 new member states that joined the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and procedures
Economic aid - recipient $172.2 million (1995); note - traditional budget subsidies from France (1995) -
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. Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $10,000 to $28,000) and historic national animosities, the European Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, both Germany and France since 2003 have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the existing 15. Twelve EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999. The UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not now participate; the 10 new member states may choose to adopt the euro when they meet the EU's fiscal and monetary criteria and the member states so agree.
Electricity - consumption 96.72 million kWh (2000) 2.661 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 270.8 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 268.5 billion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - production 104 million kWh (2000) 2.888 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 20%


hydro: 80%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
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Elevation extremes lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m


highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m


highest point: Mount Blanc, France/Italy 4,807 m
Environment - current issues tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation NA
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94


signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Ethnic groups Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% -
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 euros per US dollar - 0.81 (2004), 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: President Ange-Felix PATASSE (since 22 October 1993)


head of government: Prime Minister Martin ZIGUELE (since 1 April 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 19 September 1999 (next to be held NA September 2005); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Ange-Felix PATASSE reelected president; percent of vote - Ange-Felix PATASSE 51.63%, Andre KOLINGBA 19.38%, David DACKO 11.15%
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)


cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas)


elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009)


election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions


note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines
Exports $166 million f.o.b. (2000) 5.322 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.
Exports - partners Benelux 64%, Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, China, Egypt, France (1999) US 22.9%, Switzerland 6.9%, China 4.1%, Japan 4%
Fiscal year calendar year NA
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 on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed
GDP purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 20%


services: 25% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 28.3%


services: 69.4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $26,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.8% (2001 est.) 2.4% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 21 00 E -
Geography - note landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa -
Heliports - 94 (2004)
Highways total: 23,810 km


paved: 429 km


unpaved: 23,381 km (2000)
total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways)


paved: 4,161,318 km


unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 48% (1993) (1993)
lowest 10%: 2.9%


highest 10%: 25.4% (1995 est.)
Imports $154 million f.o.b. (2000) 15.69 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners France 35%, Cameroon 13%, Benelux, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Japan (1999) US 15.1%, China 9.7%, Japan 6.7%, Switzerland 5.6%
Independence 13 August 1960 (from France) 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Industrial production growth rate 3.9% (2001) 2.4% (2004 est.)
Industries diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism
Infant mortality rate 103.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (July 2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.6% (2001 est.) 2.1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member), EBRD, IDA, OAS (observer), OECD, WTO


European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, G-10, NSG (observer), UN (observer)


European Central Bank: BIS


European Investment Bank: WADB (nonregional member)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2002) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 115,807 sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed for a six-year term
Labor force NA 215 million (various)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 4.5%, industry 27.4%, services 66.9%


note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2004)
Land boundaries total: 5,203 km


border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
total: 11,214.8 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania 443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km


note: data for European Continent only
Land use arable land: 3.1%


permanent crops: 0.14%


other: 96.76% (1998 est.)
arable land: NA%


permanent crops: NA%


other: NA%
Languages French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the twenty-first language on 1 January 2007
Legal system based on French law -
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - there were 85 seats in the National Assembly before the 1998 election)


elections: last held 22-23 November and 13 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7
Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term


elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28
Life expectancy at birth total population: 43.58 years


male: 42.08 years


female: 45.13 years (2002 est.)
total population: 78.3 years


male: 75.1 years


female: 81.6 years (July 2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 60%


male: 68.5%


female: 52.4% (1995 est.)
-
Location Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern Europe, and the North Atlantic Ocean
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) NA
Military - note - In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - committments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by 2007.
(2005)
Military branches Central African Armed Forces (FACA) (including Republican Guard, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Air Force), Presidential Security Guard, Gendarmerie, National Police -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $29 million (FY96) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.2% (FY96) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 845,182 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 442,220 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 1 December (1958) Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert Schuman proposed the creation of an organized Europe
Nationality noun: Central African(s)


adjective: Central African
-
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Natural resources diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (July 2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [the party of the president, Ange-Felix PATASSE]; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 3,642,739


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
456,953,258 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% See individual country listings
Population growth rate 1.8% (2002 est.) 0.15% (July 2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)
Radios 283,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 222,293 km


broad gauge: 28,438 km


standard gauge: 186,405 km


narrow gauge: 7,427 km


other: 23 km (2003)
Religions indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%


note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: NA


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (July 2004 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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)
note - see individual country entries of member states
Telephones - main lines in use 9,500 (2000) 238,763,162 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 710 (1998) 314,644,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)
Terrain vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Total fertility rate 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.47 children born/woman (July 2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) 9.5% (2004 est.)
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
53,512 km
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