Overview

The Central African Republic covers 623,000 km² of dense equatorial forest, shrub savanna, and scattered thorny steppe, with abundant water. Its 5 million people belong to 80 ethnic groups practicing Islam, Christianity, and animism, served by 2 major rivers, 1 international airport, 1 inland port, no railway, a moderate road network, and 1 hydroelectric plant, with 4 cities of 30,000 to 1,500,000 inhabitants.