Central African Republic (2006) | Macau (2004) | |
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 | none (special administrative region of China) |
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: 18% (male 41,460; female 38,595)
15-64 years: 74.2% (male 157,629; female 172,810) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 14,380; female 20,412) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber | vegetables, livestock |
Airports | 50 (2006) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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) |
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Area | total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 25.4 sq km
land: 25.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. |
Birth rate | 33.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 8.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $1.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $194 million (2002) |
Capital | name: Bangui
geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 41 km |
Constitution | ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004 | Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" |
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: Macau Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Macau local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese) local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese) |
Currency | - | pataca (MOP) |
Death rate | 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.06 billion (2002 est.) | $121 million (2001 est.) |
Dependency status | - | special administrative region of China |
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 |
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong |
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 |
none (special administrative region of China) |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2002 est.) | NA (1997) |
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. | Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the world since its reversion to China in 1999. The territory's net exports of goods and services account for roughly 41% of GDP with tourism and apparel exports as the mainstays. Although the territory was hit hard by the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew 9.5% in 2002. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel drove the recovery. The budget also returned to surplus in 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of government revenue. The liberalization of Macao's gambling monopoly contributes to GDP growth, as the three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the mainland as the Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The territory may have to rely more on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. The government estimated GDP growth at 4% in 2003 with the drop in large measure due to concerns over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), but private sector analysts think the figure may have been higher because of the continuing boom in tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 98.58 million kWh (2003) | 1.688 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 1 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 193 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 106 million kWh (2003) | 1.611 billion kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 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 | NA |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% | Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other |
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) | patacas per US dollar - 8.0212 (2003), 8.0334 (2002), 8.0335 (2001), 8.0259 (2000), 7.9919 (1999) |
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 of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999) cabinet: Executive Council consists of all one government secretary, four legislators, four businessmen, and one pro-Beijing unionist elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member selection committee for up to two five-year terms election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected on 29 August 2004; received 296 votes in Election Committee out of 300 possible; 3 members submitted blank ballots; 1 member was absent |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco | clothing, textiles, footwear, cement, machines, and parts |
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) | US 49.4%, China 14.1%, Germany 8.1%, Hong Kong 6.7%, UK 4.5% (2003) |
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 | light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in center of arc and four smaller |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $9.1 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 55%
industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 12% services: 87% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.2% (2005 est.) | 4% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 7 00 N, 21 00 E | 22 10 N, 113 33 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa | essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland |
Highways | - | total: 271 km
paved: 271 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals | clothing, textiles, yarn, foodstuffs, fuel, automobiles, capital goods |
Imports - partners | France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon 9.8%, US 7.4% (2005) | China 43%, Hong Kong 12.7%, Japan 8.7%, Taiwan 5.6% (2003) |
Independence | 13 August 1960 (from France) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3% (2002) | NA |
Industries | gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles | tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys |
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: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (2001 est.) | -2.6% (2003 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 | IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2003) | NA 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 | The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region |
Labor force | NA | 214,000 (2002) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | manufacturing 20%, construction 7%, transport and communications 6%, wholesale and retail trade 15%, restaurants and hotels 12%, gambling 7%, public sector 8%, other services and agriculture 25% (2002 est.) |
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: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km |
Land use | arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (2001) |
Languages | French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages | Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese) |
Legal system | based on French law | based on Portuguese civil law system |
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 Legislative Council or LEGCO (27 seats; 10 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and sevem appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms); number of legislators will increase to 29 from September 2005
elections: last held 23 September 2001 (next to be September 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by political bloc - Entertainment Industry 3, pro-democracy 2, pro-Beijing Labor Union 2, pro-Beijing Neighborhood Association 2, pro-business 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 43.54 years
male: 43.46 years female: 43.62 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 82.03 years
male: 79.2 years female: 84.99 years (2004 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: 94.5% male: 97.2% female: 92% (2003 est.) |
Location | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Map references | Africa | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | not specified |
Merchant marine | - | none |
Military branches | Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard, National Police (2006) | responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999; there are local police forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $16.37 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (2005 est.) | - |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 125,060 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 68,913 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Republic Day, 1 December (1958) | National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
Nationality | noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common | typhoons |
Natural resources | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 4.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 [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] | Some civic associations operate as de facto political parties: Electoral Union; Pro-Macao and Flower of Friendship and Development of Macao; Associacao para a Defesa dos Interesses de Macao; Centro Democratico de Macao; Grupo Independente de Macao; Macau Economic Promotion Association; Progress Promotion Union; Development Union |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Catholic Church [LAI Hung-sing, bishop]; Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO, managing director]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong, leader] |
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.) |
445,286 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.53% (2006 est.) | 0.87% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Macau |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority |
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) |
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: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies |
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: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: NA international: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2004) | 174,600 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 60,000 (2004) | 364,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2001) | 1 (2003) |
Terrain | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest | generally flat |
Total fertility rate | 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 0.93 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) | 6.3% (2003) |
Waterways | 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2005) | - |