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Central African Republic: Population
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Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization, with GDP growth likely to be no more than 1.3% in 2003. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal.
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In the late 1990s the average life expectancy at birth in the Central African Republic was 49 years for women and 45 years for men, and the infant mortality rate was 103 per 1000 live births. According to UN estimates, more than 10 percent of the adult population had Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or the virus that causes it.
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Overall, education in the Central African Republic has made progress in eradicating the illiteracy problem among its citizens. Nonetheless, the continued population growth creates a milieu in which added resources and attention must be given to ongoing teacher training, technological support, development of new school sites, and an instructional commitment to science and technical education.
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The four main ethnic groups of the Central African Republic are the Mandjia-Baya, the Banda, the Mbaka, and the Azande. More than half the population inhabits small villages, living and working according to traditional customs.
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Economy—overview: Subsistence agriculture together with forestry remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR) with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry for nearly 54%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position a poor transportation system a largely unskilled work force and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. The 50% devaluation of the currencies of 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January 1994 had mixed effects on the CAR's economy. Diamond timber coffee and cotton exports increased leading an estimated rise of GDP of 7% in 1994 and nearly 5% in 1995.
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