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Compare Central African Republic (2006) - Western Sahara (2008)
Compare Central African Republic (2006) z Western Sahara (2008)
| Central African Republic (2006) | Western Sahara (2008) | |
 |  | |
| 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 (under de facto control of Morocco) |
| 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: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish |
| Airports | 50 (2006) | 9 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007) |
| 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: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
| Area | total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | about the size of Colorado |
| 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. | Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since August 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met three times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, with a fourth round of negotiations planned for March 2008. |
| Birth rate | 33.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
| Capital | name: Bangui
geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 1,110 km |
| Constitution | ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004 | - |
| 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: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
| Death rate | 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA |
| Debt - external | $1.06 billion (2002 est.) | $NA |
| 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 |
none |
| 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 |
| 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 | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria |
| Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2002 est.) | $NA |
| 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. | Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006 the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara. |
| Electricity - consumption | 98.58 million kWh (2003) | 79.05 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 106 million kWh (2003) | 85 million kWh (2005) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 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 | sparse water and lack of arable land |
| 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: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% | Arab, Berber |
| 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) | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003) |
| 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% |
none |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Exports - commodities | diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco | phosphates 62% |
| 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) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) |
| 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 | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 55%
industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: 40% |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.2% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 7 00 N, 21 00 E | 24 30 N, 13 00 W |
| Geography - note | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas |
| 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 | 1,698 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | France 16.7%, Netherlands 10.4%, Cameroon 9.8%, US 7.4% (2005) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) |
| Independence | 13 August 1960 (from France) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | 3% (2002) | NA% |
| Industries | gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles | phosphate mining, handicrafts |
| 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: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| 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 | none |
| Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2003) | NA |
| 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 | - |
| Labor force | NA | 12,000 |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 50%
industry and services: 50% |
| 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: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km |
| Land use | arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005) |
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005) |
| Languages | French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic |
| 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)
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 |
- |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 43.54 years
male: 43.46 years female: 43.62 years (2006 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.) |
NA |
| Location | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue |
| Military branches | Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard, National Police (2006) | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $16.37 million (2005 est.) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (2005 est.) | - |
| National holiday | Republic Day, 1 December (1958) | - |
| Nationality | noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African |
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility |
| Natural resources | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower | phosphates, iron ore |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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] | - |
| 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.) |
382,617
note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.53% (2006 est.) | NA |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Religions | indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority |
Muslim |
| 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.) |
NA |
| Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed |
| 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: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2004) | about 2,000 (1999 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 60,000 (2004) | 0 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2001) | NA |
| Terrain | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast |
| Total fertility rate | 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) | NA |
| Unemployment rate | 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Waterways | 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2005) | - |
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