M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, of whom
3,600 are French

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

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

_#_Literacy: 27% (male 33%, female 15%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

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

_#_Organized labor: 1% of labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Central African Republic (no short-form name);
abbreviated CAR

_#_Type: republic, one-party presidential regime since 1986

_#_Capital: Bangui

_#_Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures,
singular--prefecture) and 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures
economiques, singular--prefecture economique); Bamingui-Bangoran,
Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou,
Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka,
Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga; note--there may be a new
autonomous commune of Bangui

_#_Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France; formerly Central African
Empire)

_#_Constitution: 21 November 1986

_#_Legal system: based on French law

_#_National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the republic),
1 December (1958)

_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
Nationale) advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil
Economique et Regional); when they sit together this is known
as the Congress (Congres)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President
Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)

_#_Political parties and leaders: only party--Centrafrican Democrtic
Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21

_#_Elections:

President--last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held November
1993);
results--President KOLINGBA was reelected without opposition;

National Assembly--last held 31 July 1987 (next to be
held July 1992);
results--RDC is the only party;
seats--(52 total) RDC 52

_#_Communists: small number of Communist sympathize