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Compare Central African Republic (2006) - Lebanon (2006)

Compare Central African Republic (2006) z Lebanon (2006)

 Central African Republic (2006)Lebanon (2006)
 Central African RepublicLebanon
Administrative divisions 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga 8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female 897,153)


15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268)


65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 26.5% (male 523,220/female 502,372)


15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,235,915/female 1,342,540)


65 years and over: 7% (male 122,155/female 147,848) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco; sheep, goats
Airports 50 (2006) 7 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006)
total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
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 (2006)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Area total: 622,984 sq km


land: 622,984 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 10,400 sq km


land: 10,230 sq km


water: 170 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
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 - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out a region of Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil war (1976-1991) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections, most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified its continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's presence in Lebanon. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"). Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its military forces from Lebanon in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a two-thirds majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son.
Birth rate 33.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 18.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $4.953 billion


expenditures: $6.595 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital name: Bangui


geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Beirut


geographic coordinates: 33 53 N, 35 30 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 225 km
Constitution ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004 23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989
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
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic


conventional short form: Lebanon


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah


local short form: Lubnan


former: Greater Lebanon
Death rate 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $1.06 billion (2002 est.) $26 billion (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS


embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui


mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui


telephone: [236] 61 02 00


FAX: [236] 61 44 94


note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey D. FELTMAN


embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Akwar facing the Municipality)


mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box 2, FPO AE 09836-0002; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place, Washington, DC 20521-6070


telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600


FAX: [961] (4) 544136
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 (vacant)


chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320


FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324


consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles
Disputes - international about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist Lebanese Government claims Shab'a Farms area of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights; the roughly 2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place since 1978
Economic aid - recipient ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2002 est.) $2.2 billion received (2003), out of the $4.2 billion in soft loans pledged at the November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference
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 40%. 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. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth at only 0.5% in 2004 and 2.5% in 2005. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program, reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection, and privatizing state enterprises. In November 2002, the government met with international donors at the Paris II conference to seek bilateral assistance in restructuring its massive domestic debt at lower interest rates. Substantial receipts from donor nations stabilized government finances in 2003, but did little to reduce the debt, which stands at nearly 170% of GDP. In 2004 the HARIRI government issued Eurobonds in an effort to manage maturing debt. The downturn in economic activity that followed the assassination of Rafiq al-HARIRI has eased, but has yet to be reversed. Tourism remains below the level of 2004. The new Prime Minister, Fuad SINIORA, has pledged to push ahead with economic reform, including privatization and more efficient government. The Core Group of nations has announced plans to hold a Donor's Conference in early 2006 to assist the government of Lebanon in restructuring its debt and increasing foreign investment.
Electricity - consumption 98.58 million kWh (2003) 10.67 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 750 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 106 million kWh (2003) 10.67 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m


highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m


highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m
Environment - current issues tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%


note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2005), 1,507.5 (2004), 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002), 1,507.5 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup)


head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005); note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority


election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%
chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)


head of government: Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and members of the National Assembly


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15 October 1998 (next to be held in 2007 based on three-year extension); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted 96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shi'a Muslim


election results: for 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against, 10 abstentions
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
Exports - partners Belgium 34.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 8.5%, Italy 7.9%, China 6.9%, Indonesia 6.2%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.6%, US 4.4%, Turkey 4.4% (2005) Syria 25.3%, UAE 11.4%, Switzerland 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Saudi Arabia 6% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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 three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 55%


industry: 20%


services: 25% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 12%


industry: 21%


services: 67% (2000)
GDP - real growth rate 2.2% (2005 est.) 0.1% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 21 00 E 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Geography - note landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in 2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco
Imports - partners France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon 9.8%, US 7.4% (2005) Italy 11.1%, Syria 10.7%, France 9.2%, Germany 6.5%, China 5.4%, US 5.3%, UK 4.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2005)
Independence 13 August 1960 (from France) 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate 3% (2002) NA%
Industries gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Infant mortality rate total: 85.63 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 26.34 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.6% (2001 est.) 2.4% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land 20 sq km (2003) 1,040 sq km (2003)
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 four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council (called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws); Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime minister as needed)
Labor force NA 2.6 million


note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
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: 454 km


border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Land use arable land: 3.1%


permanent crops: 0.15%


other: 96.75% (2005)
arable land: 16.35%


permanent crops: 13.75%


other: 69.9% (2005)
Languages French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Legal system based on French law mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held NA 2010)


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
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005 (next to be held 2009)


election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering 15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance 14; Free Patriotic Movement 14; Lebanese Forces 6; Qornet Shewan 5; Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National Socialist Party 2; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2; Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular Movement 1; Ba'th Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 43.54 years


male: 43.46 years


female: 43.62 years (2006 est.)
total population: 72.88 years


male: 70.41 years


female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 51%


male: 63.3%


female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 87.4%


male: 93.1%


female: 82.2% (2003 est.)
Location Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine - total: 39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 150,598 GRT/178,295 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, livestock carrier 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 3


foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 3, Syria 1)


registered in other countries: 59 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados 1, Cambodia 6, Comoros 6, Egypt 2, Georgia 7, Honduras 1, North Korea 6, Liberia 2, Malta 10, Mongolia 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Syria 7, unknown 2) (2006)
Military branches Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard, National Police (2006) Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army, Navy, and Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $16.37 million (2005 est.) $540.6 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (2005 est.) 3.1% (2004)
National holiday Republic Day, 1 December (1958) Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Nationality noun: Central African(s)


adjective: Central African
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Lebanese
Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - gas 43 km (2006)
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 [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; 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] Ba'th Party; Democratic Gathering [Walid JUMBLATT]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH]; Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, Amal Movement leader/Speaker of the National Assembly]; Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Future Movement Bloc [Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Party [Karim PAKRADONI]; Kataeb Reform Movement [Amine GEMAYAL]; Lebanese Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Loyalty to the Resistance [Mohammad RA'AD]; Metn Bloc [Michel MURR]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD]; National Bloc [Carlos EDDE]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Qornet Shewan Gathering [a grouping with no individual leader]; Syrian National Socialist Party [Ali QANSU]; Tachnaq Party; Tripoli Independent Bloc [a grouping with no individual leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
Population 4,303,356


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 2006 est.)
3,874,050 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 28% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 1.53% (2006 est.) 1.23% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)
Railways - total: 401 km


standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m


narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m


note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)
Religions indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%


note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%


note: 17 religious sects recognized
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Telephone system general assessment: fair system


domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication


international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system, severely damaged during the civil war, now complete


domestic: two commercial wireless networks provide good service; political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new technologies


international: country code - 961; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to Syria; 3 submarine coaxial cables
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (2004) 990,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 60,000 (2004) 990,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Total fertility rate 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) 18% (1997 est.)
Waterways 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2005) -
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