The document provides an overview of the Central African Republic (CAR) with statistics and facts about its geography, population, poverty, development, economy, resources, rural development, health, education, water, infrastructure, external assistance, and recent progress. CAR is a landlocked country in central Africa that has experienced over 20 years of underdevelopment and stagnation. It has high poverty rates, weak health and education systems, and lacks infrastructure and development despite having natural resources like diamonds, gold, and timber. Recent political stability and international engagement have led to modest economic growth and improved humanitarian access in some areas.

1. CAR: Left behind in Africa
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team
Central African Republic (CAR)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 1
Oct-07

2. GEOGRAPHY
Landlocked in the fragile centre of Africa
LIBYA
SUDAN
CHAD
DARFUR
CAR
CAMEROON
DRC
CONGO
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 2
Oct-07

3. POPULATION
4.2 million people in a country the size of France
Population density
Population by prefecture
(5)
Region 2007 Projection
(6)
(4)
Bamingi-Bangoran (5) 46,620
Bangui (14) 687,634
(3) (7)
Basse-Kotto (10) 268,692
(2)
Haute-Kotto (7) 97,400
Haut-Mbomou (8) 62,120
Kémo (12) 127,708
(1)
Lobaye (15) 266,238
Mambéré-Kadéï (17) 393,407
Mbomou (9) 176,873
Nana-Gribizi (4) 127,057
(13)
(17) (11)
Nana-Mambéré (1) 251,993 (8)
(9)
(10)
Ombella-M'Poko (13) 384,704
(12)
(15)
(16)
Ouaka (11) 298,413
(14)
Ouham (3) 398,179
0 – 99,999
Ouham-Pendé (2) 464,272
100,000 – 199,999
Sangha-Mbaéré (16) 109,002
200,000 – 299,999
56,354
Vakaga (6)
300, 000 – 399,999
4,216,666
Total
400,000 – 499,999
600,000 – 699,999
Source: UNFPA, Population projection for 2007
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 3
Oct-07

4. POVERTY
One of the highest shares of population in extreme poverty
Share of population living on less than US$ 1 a day
73
70
67
64
61 61 59
Mali Nigeria CAR Zambia Niger Burkina Faso Gambia
Source: World Bank (2002)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 4
Oct-07

5. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Recovering from more than 20 years of under-development
CAR’s Human Development Index value fell from 0.387 in 1985 to 0.353 in 2004
Sudan
DRC
Chad
CAR .45
.35
.25
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Source: HDR (2006)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 5
Oct-07

6. ECONOMIC GROWTH
For 20 years CAR stagnated while Africa grew
GDP per capita (PPP) in 2006 US$ 1,198 versus US$ 2,686 in Africa as a whole
GDP growth, Base = 100 (1985)
+80%
Africa
CAR
+60%
+40%
+20%
100
-20%
1995
1985 1990 2000 2005
Source: IMF (2007)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 6
Oct-07

7. ECONOMIC GROWTH
An economy off balance
Exports, imports, trade balance in bil. FCFA* Share of GDP per sector in 2006
Exports
70 Imports
Services
CA Balance
60 29%
Pie 1
50
40
Pie 1
30 Industry
14%
20
10
Pie 1
Agriculture
0 57%
-20
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Source: Central African Central Bank (BEAC, www.beac.int), * 1 USD = 500 FCFA
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 7
Oct-07

8. RESOURCES
Rich in strategic natural resources
N
CHAD DARFUR
Diamonds
Gold
Timber
DRC
Uranium
Source: CAR Government
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 8
Oct-07

9. RESOURCES
Resource wealth poorly managed
Gold (kg), Timber (1,000 m3) production
Diamond production (1,000 carats)
40
500
30
20
450
10
0
400
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
350 800
600
300 400
200
250 0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Source: Central African Central Bank (BEAC, www.beac.int)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 9
Oct-07

10. RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural sector in disarray
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 10
Oct-07

11. RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Production of major export crops collapsed
Rural development quick facts Cotton and coffee production in 1,000 tons
• 74% of population work in agricultural Cotton
70
sector Coffee
• 15 million ha arable land but only 60
600,000 ha cultivated
50
• 94% of farming is subsistence farming
• On average each farmer cultivates less 40
than 0.5 ha
30
• Average yearly growth of agricultural
sector in last 30 years: 2%, population 20
growth per year: 2.3%
10
• Global acute malnutrition for children
under 5 years at 10%
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Source: Govt. Briefing Paper on Rural Development (www.car-conference.net), MICS Source: Central African Central Bank (BEAC, www.beac.int)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 11
Oct-07

12. HEALTH
People keep dying from treatable diseases
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 12
Oct-07

13. HEALTH
HIV/AIDS prevalence one of the highest in the region
HIV/AIDS prevalence in % among adult population in selected African states
6.7
6.4 6.2
5.5
3.0
2.2
1.8
1.5
Kenya Uganda CAR Cameroon Rwanda Ghana Burkina Faso Guinea
Source: UNFPA (2007), data based on MICS methodology
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 13
Oct-07

14. HEALTH
One of the world’s poorest health systems
Health quick facts HIV/AIDS prevalence by prefecture in %
• 76% of population live more than 10 km
10.7 7.4
from next health centre 8.4
4.1
• Life expectancy fell from 49 years in 2.6
1988 to 43 years in 2003 3.1
13.6
4.2
• Only 44% of births assisted
7.3
• Prevalence of contraceptives only 6.9% 3.6
7.2
3.2
3.1
7.8
• One of the highest maternal mortality 6.9 6.3
rates in the world at 1,355 per 100,000
Total
Top 7 regions by total Women Men
• Infant-mortality rate at 132 per 1,000
Haut-Mbomou 13.5 13.8 13.6
• Malaria, diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS and Bamingui-Bangoran 15.1 6.0 10.7
Nana-Gribizi 11.4 4.9 8.4
malnutrition main causes of death for
Bangui 10.3 5.1 7.8
children under 3 years Haute-Kotto 8.3 6.4 7.4
Ombella-M’Poko 9.8 4.5 7.3
Mambéré-Kadéï 10.6 3.2 7.2
Source: Govt. Briefing Paper on Health (www.car-conference.net), UNFPA (2007)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 14
Oct-07

15. EDUCATION
Hardly anywhere is access to education so difficult
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 15
Oct-07

16. EDUCATION
One of the world’s weakest educational systems
Education quick facts Pupils per teacher in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Only 1.45% of GDP spent on education,
100
almost 50% below African average 92
83
• Primary enrolment rates have not
80
improved in 15 years 72
66
• Pupil to teacher ration 92:1 in primary 63 62
education, 50:1 in secondary education 60
• Almost 50% of teachers unqualified
parents 40
• Only 32% of pupils completed basic
primary education in 2005 20
• Adult literacy rate 51% for men, 32%
for women
CAR Congo Ethiopia Mozam. Chad Rwanda
Source: Govt. Briefing Paper on Education (www.car-conference.net) Source: UNESCO (2005), Pupil-teacher ratio in primary education (X:1)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 16
Oct-07

17. WATER
Drinking water a health hazard
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 17
Oct-07

18. WATER
Millions without access to safe drinking water
Water quick facts % of pop. using adequate sanit. facilities in Africa
• Most water pumps destroyed or
35
in disrepair
29 29
• Access to safe drinking water 30
estimated at 31.5% for 25
25
population in urban areas, 23
21
26.0% in rural areas 20
20
• About 75% of population without
access to adequate sanitation 15 13
12
facilities
10 8
• No waste management system
5
Chad B. Faso CAR Benin Congo Niger Eritrea Ethio. Rwan.
Source: Govt. Briefing Paper on Water (www.car-conference.net) Source: NationMaster.com (UNICEF, latest available)
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 18
Oct-07

19. INFRASTRUCTURE
Landlocked with almost no way out
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 19
Oct-07

20. INFRASTRUCTURE
Vast distances, hardly any good roads, almost no electricity
Infrastructure quick facts Road accessibility and distances from Bangui
• 5,376 km of roads but only 700
km with good accessibility Birao: 1,073 km
SUDAN
• Nearest seaport Douala almost CHAD
1,500 km from Bangui Ndélé: 718 km
Sam Ouandja: 910 km
• Lifeline to Cameroon for large
Kaga-Bandoro: 330 km
CAMEROON
parts without tarmac Bossangoa: 300 km
Bria: 579 km
Bouar: 447 km
• 600,000 tons of yearly freight on Bambari: 374 km
the Oubangui river in 1970s, Sibut: 179 km
down to 62,000 tons in 2005 Bangui
• Only 39 MW electric power
installed nationwide
DRC
Minor road
• Only 3% of population with
Good
access to electricity Medium
Source: Govt. Briefing Paper on Transport and Energy (www.car-conference.net) Very Poor
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 20
Oct-07

21. EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE
Overseas development assistance collapsed
25%
ODA per capita (in 1990 US$)
ODA / GDP
80
20%
15%
50
10%
5%
10
1970 1980 1990 2000
Source: CAR Ministry of Finance
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 21
Oct-07

22. PROGRESS
Recent progress in Bangui and the centre of the country
+
Political, economic situation starts to improve; international community re-engages
• Legitimate government and head of state
• New constitutional framework
• Technocrats return to key government positions
• Government cleared debt arrears with World Bank and ADB
• Thumbs up from IMF
– GDP growth of more than 3 % in 2005 and 2006
– Inflation under control
– Tax receipts tripled in the last 9 months
• World Bank re-engages and starts Country Assistance Strategy
• PRSP completed and Development Partner Round Table scheduled for 26 October
• Private sector investment in gold, diamonds and uranium over US$ 400 million in 2007
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 22
Oct-07

23. PROGRESS
International aid organisations improve their field presence
Birao
Ndélé
IPHD
Sam Ouandja
Paoua**
Kaga-Bandoro
Bossangoa ***
Bozoum
Sibut Bambari
Bouar
Bangassou
Bangui
IPHD
** Presence of international aid agencies as of August 2007
** MSF also has a presence in nearby Markounda and Boguila Kota
*** COOPI also has a presence in Bouca, 100 km east of Bossangoa
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 23
Oct-07

24. KEY CONTACTS
Contact the Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team
• Mr Toby Lanzer
– Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
– UNDP Representative
– Phone +236 56 10 26 | Email toby.lanzer@undp.org
• Ms Amanda Weyler
– Special Assistant to the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
– Phone +236 56 27 44 | Email amanda.weyler@undp.org
• Mr Gilbert Aho
– UNDP Senior Economist
– Phone +236 50 12 49 | Email gilbert.aho@undp.org
• Mr Kersten Jauer
– UN Information Manager
– Phone +236 57 50 34 | Email kersten.jauer@undp.org
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 24
Oct-07

25. WEBSITES
Useful websites
• www.cf.undp.org
– UNDP Central African Republic
• www.hdptcar.net
– HDPT CAR Blog on the humanitarian and development situation
• www.car-conference.net
– CAR Development Partner Consultation
• www.car-round-table.net
– CAR Development Partner Round Table
• www.hcpt.jot.com
– HDPT CAR Intranet for Humanitarian and Development Partners
• www.minplan-rca.org
– CAR Ministry of Economics, Plan and International Cooperation
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 25
Oct-07

26. OVERVIEW MAP
Important locations and roads
N
Birao
Gordil
CHAD SUDAN
Sam Ouandja
Ndélé
Kabo
Paoua Ouandago
Ngaoundaye
Bocaranga Kaga-Bandoro
Bossangoa
Bozoum
Bria
Bouar
Obo
Bambari
Sibut
Bangassou
Mobaye
Bangui
Berbérati
City / settlement
Mbaïkï
Prefecture
Nola
Road
DRC
500 km
Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team CAR Slide 26
Oct-07