1981 Edition

Area

626,780 km8; 10%-15% cultivated, 5% dense forests, 80%-85% grazing, fallow, vacant arable land, urban, waste

Communists

a few Communists, some sympathizers

Elections

national elections held December 1980, the first since independence Political parties and leaders: only legal party, African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), led by Aristides Pereira, Secretary General; PAICV established in January 1981 to replace the former ruling party in both Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), in protest of the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau

Land boundaries

4,981 km

Member of

FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Ethnic divisions

approximately 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; Banda (32%) and Baya-Mandjia (29%) are largest single groups; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 6,000 are French and majority of the rest Portuguese

Labor force

about half the population economically active, 80% of whom are in agriculture; approximately 64,000 salaried workers

Language

French official; Sangho, lingua franca and national language

Literacy

estimated at 20%

Nationality

noun — Central African(s); adjective — Central African

Organized labor

1% of labor force

Population

2,471,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.6%

Religion

40% Protestant, 28% Catholic, 24% animist, 8% Muslim; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Branches

Gen. Andre-Dieudonne Kolingba is Chief of State and President of the Military Committee for National Recovery, which replaced the Council of Ministers; no legislature; separate judiciary

Capital

Bangui

Communists

no Communist party; small number of Communist sympathizers

Elections

no scheduled presidential, legislative, or municipal elections Political parties and leaders: political parties were banned in September 1981

Government leader

Gen. Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA, Chief of State, President of the Military Committee for National Recovery, Minister of National Defense, and Armed Forces Chief of Staff

Legal system

based on French law; Constitution, which was approved in February 1981 referendum, was suspended after September 1981 military takeover; judiciary, Supreme Court, court of appeals, criminal court, and numerous lower courts

Member of

AFDB, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, EGA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

4 December CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (Continued)

Official name

Central African Republic

Political subdivisions

14 prefectures, 47 subprefectures

Suffrage

universal over age 21

Type

republic, under military rule since September 1981

Agriculture

main crops — corn, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes; barely self-sufficient in food

commercial — cotton, coffee, peanuts, sesame, wood; main food crops — manioc, corn, peanuts, rice, potatoes, beef; requires wheat, flour, rice, beef, and sugar imports

Budget

$17.1 million public revenue, $22.1 million current expenditures (1980 est.)

(1980) revenues $95.1 million (est.), current expenditures $131.1 million (est.), development expenditures $4.4 million (est.)

Electric power

6,000 kW capacity (1980); 9 million kWh produced (1980); 27 kWh per capita

44,000 kW capacity (1980); 66 million kWh produced (1980), 28 kWh per capita

Exports

$4.1 million (f.o.b., 1979); fish, bananas, salt, flour

$129.7 million (f.o.b., 1979 est.); cotton, coffee, diamonds, timber

Fiscal year

calendar year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 8,331 metric tons (1979 est.); largely undeveloped but provides major source of export earnings

GDP

$40.7 million (1978 est); $136 per capita income; 0.0% growth rate

$535.5 million (1980 est), $200 per capita, \% real growth

Imports

$71.1 million (c.i.f., 1979); petroleum products, corn, rice, machinery, textiles

$101.6 million (f.o.b., 1979 est.); textiles, petroleum products, machinery and electrical equipment, motor vehicles and equipment, chemicals and Pharmaceuticals

Major industries

salt mining

sawmills, cotton textile mills, brewery, diamond mining and splitting

Major trade partners

Portugal, UK, Japan, African neighbors

France, Yugoslavia, Japan, US

Monetary conversion rate

47 escudos=US$l (1981)

225.8 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$l (1980)

Airfields

6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

55 total, 47 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

3 major transport aircraft

Highways

21,950 km total; 454 km bituminous, 10,196 km improved earth, 11,300 unimproved earth

Inland waterways

7,080 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts on the extensive system of rivers and streams

Military budget

for fiscal year including 31 December 1980, $15 million; about 5% of central government budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1980; $13.5 million; about 10.8% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 79,000; 45,000 fit for military service

males 15-49, 541,000; 281,000 fit for military service

Ports

1 major (Mindelo), 3 minor

Bangui (river port)

Railroads

none

Supply

mainly dependent on France, but has received equipment from Israel, Italy, USSR, FRG, South Korea, and PRC

Telecommunications

interisland radio-relay system, HF radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau, about 1,700 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 1 FM station and 1 AM station; 2 coaxial submarine cables DEFENSE FORCES

facilities are meager; network is composed of low-capacity, low-powered radio-communication stations and radio-relay links; 6,000 telephones (0.2 per 100 popl.); 3 AM stations, 1 FM station, and 1 TV station DEFENSE FORCES