Central African Republic

République Centrafricaine

Political Status: Became independent August 13, 1960; one-party military regime established January 1, 1966; Central African Empire proclaimed December 4, 1976; republic reestablished September 21, 1979; military rule reimposed September 1, 1981; constitution of November 21, 1986, amended on August 30, 1992, to provide for multiparty system; present constitution adopted January 7, 1995, following acceptance in referendum of December 28, 1994; civilian government suspended following military coup on March 15, 2003; new constitution adopted by national referendum on December 5, 2004, providing for a return to civilian government via national elections that were held March–May 2005.

Area: 240,534 sq. mi. (622,984 sq. km.).

Population: 2,463,616 (1988C); 4,239,000 (2006E).

Major Urban Center (2005E): BANGUI (783,000).

Official Language: French. The national language is Sango.

Monetary Unit: CFA Franc (official ...