Central African Republic
Type of Government: Republic
Independence: 1960 from France
Head of State: President Francois Bozize (March 15, 2003)
2007/2008 UN Development Index ranking (out of 177 countries): 171
2007 TI Corruption Perception Index (out of 179): 162
Political Development: After thirty years of tumultuous rule following independence in 1960, civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March 2003 the president was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois Bozize, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General Bozize was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. There have been reports of widespread violence in the northern part of the country.
Adult HIV Rate: 13.5%
Life Expectancy: 43.74
GDP: $1.55 billion
Inflation: 3.6%
Poverty: N/A
Petroleum: N/A
Leading Export Partner: Belgium (30.7%)
Economic Note: Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic, with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
