30 Facts About Central African Republic

The Central African Republic or CAR is also known as Centrafrique. The country’s name comes from its geographical location. 

The official name of CAR is République Centrafricaine. 

The Central African Republic was once known as the Ubangi-Shari because of the Ubangi and Chari rivers.

From 1976 to 1979, the Central African Republic was renamed the Central African Empire.

The Central African Republic shares borders with Sudan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad.

CAR's official languages are French and Sangho. The Central African CFA Franc (XAF) is the CAR's currency.

The acronym CFA stands for Communauté Financière Africaine. The currency is backed by the French Treasury.

Bangui, CAR's capital and largest city, is also its largest city. It was once a French outpost and was named after the Ubangi River. Ubangi means "rapids" in the Bobangi language.

Bangui is an important section of the country due to its location and significance as a city and capital in CAR. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several times due to political and social upheaval, and it still serves as a focal point for rebel activity.

The Central African Republic flag is composed of five coloured stripes: four horizontal stripes of equal width and one vertical stripe running down the centre. The horizontal stripes are blue, white, green, and yellow from top to bottom. Red dominates the single vertical stripe. The blue stripe has a single yellow star in the upper left corner.

AR is predominantly Christian, with a sizable Catholic population. Approximately 9% of the population is Muslim. In 2019, the country had more Protestants than Catholics.

The Central African Republic is primarily an agricultural country. Its farmers practise subsistence farming to meet their needs and earn a living.

CAR is struggling economically as a result of prolonged political and social unrest. It is still one of the poorest countries in the world, not just in Africa.

Slave traders captured Africans in the region from the 16th to the 17th centuries. The captured people were distributed throughout Europe, Arabia, the Western Hemisphere, and the Mediterranean.

CAR fell under French control in the late nineteenth century.

Under French control, enslavement of the people of CAR continued until the 1920s and 1930s.

The Bouar Megaliths, located in the country's western region, are among the most well-known landmarks in the CAR. The megaliths are thought to date from 3500 to 2700 B.C. They were featured on a 1967 CAR stamp and were proposed for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Despite the fact that the CAR constitution allows for religious freedom, witchcraft was considered a criminal offence. As a result, in 2003, the constitution was temporarily suspended.

CAR residents dress casually. People are expected to dress modestly, depending on the predominant culture or religion of the area.

The elephant is CAR's national animal. Poaching for ivory has kept this gentle giant on the endangered list. CAR has two types of elephants: bush and forest elephants.

CAR has national parks set up to protect its wildlife. The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris Park, with an area of 1,740,000 hectares, is the largest of these parks.

CAR shares one national park, the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, with the Republic of Congo and Cameroon. This reserve is home to the famous western lowland gorillas.

Two of the most dangerous animals on the planet live in CAR's rivers: the hippopotamus and the crocodile. Each year, these semi-amphibious creatures kill about 500 people in Africa.

Mosquitoes, despite their small size, are responsible for more deaths in CAR and other African countries than any other (larger) animal. Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Because of internal strife, many Central Africans have fled to neighbouring countries. Over 630,000 people are estimated to have crossed borders in search of safety elsewhere.

Education is one sector in CAR that is still struggling. Its primary education is inadequate, and secondary school education for girls is scarce.

The mining industry in the Central African Republic produces gold, diamonds, iron ore, limestone, quartz, graphite, and uranium. However, for the most part, the country only harvests gold and diamonds, relying on subsistence farming to power its economy.

Sorghum, millet, yam, bananas, okra, rice, peanuts, and spinach are staples of the Central African Republic's diet. Palm oil, garlic, and yellow onion are also popular among the locals. Cassava, maize, tomatoes, chilli peppers, and sweet potatoes are also imported into the country.

Because animal meat is scarce in the country, people rely on fish for protein. They may use peanuts and insects such as termites, cicadas, crickets, and grasshoppers as protein substitutes. Caterpillars are also eaten, though usually in forests.

The king protea is CAR's national flower (Protea cynaroides). Its flower is the largest in its genus and is also known as the giant protea, king sugar bush, or honeypot. The flower can withstand harsh conditions. It can even withstand wildfires because its thick underground stem contains many dormant buds. If the upper ground stem is broken, the buds grow to replace it.