Central African Republic (A New Age: Map Game)

The Central African Republic (CAR; Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka; French: République centrafricaine   pronounced  [ʁepyblik sɑ̃tʁafʁikɛn], or Centrafrique [sɑ̃tʁafʁik]) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi) and had an estimated population of around 6.9 million as of 2034.

History

 * 2032:
 * Unstable government stabilizes in a more direct and democratic system, trade relations with the Netherlands and Cameroon are increased and a trade agreement is made with Russia.

Geografy
The Central African Republic is a landlocked nation within the interior of the African continent. It is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. The country lies between latitudes 2° and 11°N, and longitudes 14° and 28°E.

Much of the country consists of flat or rolling plateau savanna approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) above sea level. Most of the northern half lies within the World Wildlife Fund's East Sudanian savanna ecoregion. In addition to the Fertit Hills in the northeast of the CAR, there are scattered hills in the southwest regions. In the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau with an altitude of 348 metres (1,143 ft).

At 622,941 square kilometres (240,519 sq mi), the Central African Republic is the world's 45th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Ukraine.

Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River; the Mbomou River in the east merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River, which also comprises portions of the southern border. The Sangha Riverflows through some of the western regions of the country, while the eastern border lies along the edge of the Nile River watershed.

It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts generally located in the southern regions. The forests are highly diverse and include commercially important species of Ayous, Sapelliand Sipo. The deforestation rate is about 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace.

In 2008, Central African Republic was the world's least light pollution affected country.

The Central African Republic is the focal point of the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly, one of the largest magnetic anomalies on Earth.

Wildlife
In the southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in a rain forest area. The country is noted for its population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas. In the north, the Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park is well-populated with wildlife, including leopards, lions, cheetahs and rhinos, and the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park is located in the northeast of CAR. The parks have been seriously affected by the activities of poachers, particularly those from Sudan, over the past three decades.

Climate
The climate of the Central African Republic is generally tropical, with a wet season that lasts from June to September in the northern regions of the country, and from May to October in the south. During the wet season, rainstorms are an almost daily occurrence, and early morning fog is commonplace. Maximum annual precipitation is approximately 1,800 millimetres (71 in) in the upper Ubangi region.

The northern areas are hot and humid from February to May, but can be subject to the hot, dry, and dusty trade wind known as the Harmattan. The southern regions have a more equatorial climate, but they are subject to desertification, while the extreme northeast regions of the country are already desert.

Prefectures and sub-prefectures
The Central African Republic is divided into 16 administrative prefectures (préfectures), two of which are economic prefectures (préfectures economiques), and one an autonomous commune; the prefectures are further divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-préfectures).

The prefectures are Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kémo, Lobaye, Mambéré-Kadéï, Mbomou, Nana-Mambéré, Ombella-M'Poko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pendé and Vakaga. The economic prefectures are Nana-Grébizi and Sangha-Mbaéré, while the commune is the capital city of Bangui.

Government and politics
Politics in the Central African Republic formally take place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic. In this system, the President is the head of state, with a Prime Minister as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.

Changes in government have occurred in recent years by three methods: violence, negotiations, and elections. A new constitution was approved by voters in a referendum held on 5 December 2004. The government was rated 'Partly Free' from 1991 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2013.

Executive branch
The president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term, and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The president also appoints and presides over the Council of Ministers, which initiates laws and oversees government operations.

Legislative branch
The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 105 members, elected for a five-year term using the two-round (or Run-off) system.

Judicial branch
Like many other former French colonies, the Central African Republic's legal system is based on French law. The Supreme Court, or Cour Supreme, is made up of judges appointed by the president. There is also a Constitutional Court, and its judges are also appointed by the president.

List of presidents
If you want to see presidents before 2018, see the .

List of prime ministers
If you want to see prime ministers before 2018, see the .

Parliamentary parties

 * National Union for Democracy and Progress (13)
 * Union for Central African Renewal (13)
 * Central African Democratic Rally (10)
 * Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (9)
 * Kwa Na Kwa (7)
 * PATRIE (4)
 * Party for Democratic Governance (3)
 * Rally for the Republic (3)
 * Party of the Central African Renaissance (3)
 * Movement for Democracy and Development (2)
 * Republican Convention for Social Progress (2)
 * Action Party for Development (1)
 * National Solidarity Movement (1)
 * National Union for Democracy and Rally (1)
 * National Unity Party (1)
 * PDSK (1)
 * Socialist Party (1)

Extraparliamentary parties

 * Alliance for Democracy and Progress
 * Central African Republican Party
 * Congress of Central African Social Democrats
 * Democratic Forum for Modernity
 * Democratic Movement for the Renaissance and Evolution of Central Africa
 * Liberal Democratic Party
 * MESAN
 * MESAN–Boganda
 * Movement for Democracy, Independence and Social Progress
 * National Democratic Front
 * National Party for a New Central Africa
 * Party for Democracy in Central Africa
 * Patriotic Front for Progress
 * Social Democratic Party

Military
The Central African Armed Forces (French: Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA)) are the armed forces of the Central African Republic, established after independence in 1960. Today they are among the world's weakest armed forces, dependent on international support to hold back enemies in the current civil war. Its disloyalty to the president came to the fore during the mutinies in 1996–1997, and since then has faced internal problems. It has been strongly criticised by human rights organisations due to terrorism, including killings, torture and sexual violence. Its budget is currently just $20 million adjusted USD per year.
 * Total Military Personnel: 14,560
 * Fighter Aircraft: 1
 * Attack Aircraft: 2
 * Transport Aircraft: 10
 * Trainer Aircraft: 4
 * Attack Helicopters: 6
 * Combat Tanks: 10
 * Armored Fighting Vehicles: 126
 * Self-Propelled Artillery: 4
 * Towed Artillery: 60
 * Rocket Projectors: 2

Economy
The per capita income of the Republic is often listed as being approximately $5000 a year, one of the lowest in the world, but this figure is based mostly on reported sales of exports and largely ignores the unregistered sale of foods, locally produced alcoholic beverages, diamonds, ivory, bushmeat, and traditional medicine.

The currency of Central African Republic is the CFA franc, which is accepted across the former countries of French West Africa and trades at a fixed rate to the Euro. Diamonds constitute the country's most important export, accounting for 40–55% of export revenues, but it is estimated that between 30% and 50% of those produced each year leave the country clandestinely.

Agriculture is dominated by the cultivation and sale of food crops such as cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame, and plantain. The annual real GDP growth rate is just above 3%. The importance of food crops over exported cash crops is indicated by the fact that the total production of cassava, the staple food of most Central Africans, ranges between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes a year, while the production of cotton, the principal exported cash crop, ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 tonnes a year. Food crops are not exported in large quantities, but still constitute the principal cash crops of the country, because Central Africans derive far more income from the periodic sale of surplus food crops than from exported cash crops such as cotton or coffee. Much of the country is self-sufficient in food crops; however, livestock development is hindered by the presence of the tsetse fly.

The Republic's primary import partner is the Netherlands (19.5%). Other imports come from Cameroon (9.7%), France (8.3%), and South Korea (7.7%). Its largest export partner is Belgium (32.0%), followed by Russia (22.8%).

The CAR is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). In the 2009 World Bank Group's report Doing Business, it was ranked 183rd of 183 as regards 'ease of doing business', a composite index which takes into account regulations that enhance business activity and those that restrict it.

The centrafrican total GDP is $10000 billion.