th permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones; telephone system uses 1 submarine
coaxial cable and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station to link islands and
access international services; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, no TV

- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Central African Republic
- Geography
Total area: 622,980 km2; land area: 622,980 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: 5,203 km total; Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km,
Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills
in northeast and southwest

Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil

Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
64% forest and woodland; 28% other

Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas;
poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges;
desertification

Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

- People
Population: 2,877,365 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 141 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 48 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Central African(s); adjective--Central African

Ethnic divisions: about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have
related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; 34% Baya, 27% Banda, 10% Sara,
21% Mandjia, 4% Mboum, 4% M'Baka; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are French

Religion: 24% indigenous beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic,
15% Muslim, 11% other; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence
the Christian majority

Language: French (official); Sangho (lingua franca and national
language); Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili

Literacy: 40.2%

Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.); 85% agriculture, 9% commerce and
services, 3% industry, 3% government; about 64,000 salaried workers;
55% of population of working age (1985)