LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Central African Republic
built 613 days ago
A small child was left behind as Central African Republic villagers, fearful of military forces in the area, fled at the sound of a United Nations convoy. (Michael Kamber for The New York Times)
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At 240,519 mi² (622,984 km²), the Central African Republic is the world's 43rd-largest country (after Somalia). It is comparable in size to Ukraine, and is somewhat smaller than the US state of Texas.
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In 1979 the Central African Empire (1976) was overthrown, and a republic was established. A constitution approved in February 1981 was suspended after a coup in September, and the ruling Military Committee for National Recovery was installed. A new constitution, approved by referendum in 1986, vests executive authority in the president and in the Council of Ministers, which is headed by the prime minister. The president is popularly elected to a 6-year term. Legislative authority is held by the National Assembly, the 109 members of which are directly elected to 5-year terms. The Central African Democratic Rally was the sole political party from 1987 to 1991, when a constitutional amendment established a multiparty system; subsequently, the Central African People's Liberation Movement became the dominant political group.
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Vast parts of the Central African Republic are ... suitable for plantation trees such as eucalyptus and acacia - for which no AEZ maps and exact numbers are available. But there are some good data on this from a recent study carried out by European research organisations who looked at the sustainable production potential for woody biomass that could fuel energy intensive industrial sectors such as steel making, identified the country as one of the most interesting in sub-Saharan Africa.
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As of the late 1990s, the Central African Republic continued to be heavily dependent on foreign assistance. The World Bank, European Union, UN Development Program, and the African Development Fund all provided grants; one-fourth of all development assistance continued to come from France, followed by Japan, Germany, and the United States.
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OVERVIEW: The political outlook for the Central African Republic is uncertain. The IMF's approval of a new poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF) has led to the resumption of donor aid, which will be vital for the government's survival. The award of the PRGF and the resumption of donor support should help the economy to recover slowly, and real GDP growth is forecast to rise to 4.6% in 2008 and 4.8% in 2009, while inflation is expected to remain stable, at around 3.3%, in 2008-09.
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Central African Republic