Central African Republic
Where is Central African Republic located? Central African Republic belongs to the continent of Africa. It is positioned in Central Africa, where it is landlocked by six countries. The names of its border countries are Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.
Central African Republic population and size Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Africa. The approximated area size of this African country is 622,98 sq km 240,535 square miles). It is thought that CAR, the abbreviated name by which this African country is known, has a population of in the region of 4,709,000 inhabitants with Central African Republic’s most populated region being the capital city of Bangui.
The capital of Central African Republic The capital city of Central African Republic is Bangui which is situated in the south of the country. Bangui is the most populated city in Central African Republic and has an estimated population of 542,300 people. The area is very interesting as there are several incredible landmarks in capital city of the Central African Republic including the Presidential Palace, Boganda Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Mosque, Museum and Zoo. Most of the population live and work in or near to the capital city of Bangui which is situated on the Ubangi River. Many goods are manufactured here including beer, food products, soap and textiles; all of which are very important to the country's industry.
Central African Republic major cities There are a number of major cities in Central African Republic, the names of the largest and most important cities and towns include the country’s capital city of Bangui, Bimbo, Mbaiki, Berberati, Kaga Bandoro, Bozoum, Carnot, Sibut, Bambari and Bria. Bimbo is the name of the second largest city in the Central African Republic. It is located approximately 25 km from the capital city of Bangui and has an estimated population of over 268,000 people.
Map of Central African Republic
Geography
The geography of this landlocked African country can be described as diverse as the landscape changes throughout the regions. Much of the land in CAR is dominated by treeless areas and savanna grasslands, whilst mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, rivers, hills and plateaus occupy other parts of this incredible country.
Climate
The climate of the Central African Republic can be described as tropical. The harmatttan winds bring hot, dry conditions to the north and create a lot of dust. The climate conditions of the rest of the country are more equatorial but rains that occur during the wet season mean that the rivers in CAR are often prone to flooding. The wet season occurs between the months of June and September in the north and May to October in southern regions.
Famous landmarks
There are numerous fascinating landmarks, monuments and buildings in Central African Republic including the Tata Palace of Sultan Senoussi, Kaga-Kpoungouvou Caves that housed many slaves during their escape, stone settings at Bouar Megaliths, Presidential Palace, Boganda Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Mosque, Museum and Zoo.
Central African Republic is famous for its stunning geography, tropical climate, rich culture and traditions, and the nation's love of arts, crafts, music and dance.
Culture
The main languages of Central African Republic include French and Sango. The official language is French, however, an African language / creole known as Sango (Sangho) is also widely spoken across the country. Sango is a type of lingua franca; a common language that is used in communication between people of different native languages.
The main religion of Central African Republic is Protestant. Around 50 percent of the population are Protestant and practice a form of Christianity. Around 30 percent of the remaining population belong to the Roman Catholic religion, whilst approximately 15 percent are Muslim.
The cuisine in Central African Republic can be described as varied and flavorsome. Central African cuisine is based around ingredients such as yam, sweet potato, banana, okra, cassave, peppers, garlic, onion, spinach, millet, rice, maize and peanuts. Many dishes are accompanied by fish whilst meat is limited. Some cuisines include chicken, goat or bush meat. Names of such dishes and popular Central African foods include makara (fried bread), stews, fufu (made from cassava) fulani boullie (porridge), and palm butter soup.
The culture of Central African Republic is greatly influenced by religion, music, dance, art, literature, cuisine and sport. Often celebrations are accompanied by music, dance and foods that are traditional to this African country. Many people here enjoy different types of sport, in particular, basketball football and boat racing. Art and crafts play an important part in this country's culture and many handicrafts are made locally including woven baskets, woven mats, instruments and beautiful carvings made from wood.
The flag
The national flag of Central African Republic, which incorporates five colors in its design, was adopted on December 1, 1958, and is characterized by four equal horizontal bars which appear as dark blue, white, green and yellow in order of color from top to bottom. A vertical red stripe crosses through the centre of the flag. The Central African flag can be identified by a five pointed yellow star which is positioned close to the hoist, in the top left, on the dark blue bar. The star illustrates hope for the future of the Central African Republic. The five colors of the flag carry great significance. The color blue represents the sky and liberty, white expresses harmony, green depicts hope, yellow shows tolerance, and red represents the blood shed during the African country's battle for independence.
