CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Official name: Republique Centrafricaine (Central African Republic) Location: Central Africa International organisations: The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, The African Union, The Non-Aligned Movement, International Francophone Organisation, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: Cameroun, Chad, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Sudan Coastline: None Land area: 622,984 Km2

Population: 3,600,000
Ethnicity: Virtually the entire population is of Sudanic African stoc. The largest ethnic groups are the Baya (33%), Banda (27%), Mandjia (13%), Sara (10%), Mboum (7%), M'Baka (4%) and Yakoma (4%).
Languages: French is the official language and is the language of government and business. The main African languages are Gbaya (20%), Banda (20%), Sangho (10%), Manza (8%), Yakoma (3%).
Religion: Christian 50% (Protestant 25%, Catholic 25%), indigenous beliefs 35%, Sunni Moslem 15%.
Form of government: Presidential republic. The Central African Republic is divided into 16 prefectures and the commune of the national capital.
Capital: Bangui
Constitution: The Constitution of the Central African Republic came into effect on 7 January 1995.
Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year term.
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the President.
Legislature: The Central African Republic has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale). The Assembly has 109 members and is elected for five-year terms.
Electoral authority: The Independent National Election Commission conducts national elections.
Freedom House 2005 rating: Political Rights 6, Civil Liberties 5

Political history

The area which is now the Central African Republic was under the nominal sovereignty of the Ottoman province of Egypt until the late 19th century, when it was penetrated by the French, who formally annexed it as the colony of Ubangi-Chari in 1894. In 1910 it became part of French Equatorial Africa. In 1946 it again became a separate colony, and in 1958 it became self-governing within the French Community. Full independence as the Central African Republic followed in August 1960.

The founding President, David Dacko, was overthrown in a coup in 1966 by Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who ruled as an increasingly oppressive dictator, declaring himself "Emperor" in 1976. In 1979 he was removed by a French-backed coup and Dacko was restored to power. Dacko's efforts to establish a democratic government were unsuccessful, and in 1981, he was again overthrown in coup by General Andre Kolingba. From 1985 onwards Kolingba oversaw a gradual restoration of constitutional government, and a multi-party system was established in 1991.

In 1993 Ange Felix Patasse was elected President, and he was re-elected in 1999. Ethnic tensions and economic difficulties led to three attempted coups in 1996 and 1997, which were suppressed with French aid and an African peacekeeping force. But in March 2003 army rebels overthrew Patasse and installed their commander, General François Bozizé, as President. Presidential and legislative elections were held in early 2005, confirming and legitimising Bozizé's hold on power.

Before the coup the main parties in the Central African Republic were Patasse's Liberation Movement of the Central African People, the Central African Democratic Rally, the Movement for Democracy and Development, the Patriotic Front for Progress and the Social Democratic Party

Amnesty International's most recent Report on the Central African Republic was issued before the 2003 coup. Events in the Central African Republic may be followed at the AllAfrica.com website.