Political Overview
The Central African Republic operates as a semi-presidential republic in which executive power is shared between a directly elected President, who serves as head of state, and a Prime Minister appointed as head of government In August 2023, a new constitution was adopted abolishing presidential term limits, extending presidential terms to seven years, and creating the office of Vice President further consolidating authority in the executive branch. Despite formal institutions, state authority remains largely confined to the capital, Bangui, with rebel factions and armed groups exercising de facto control over vast rural areas Under the current constitutional framework, the President may be directly elected for unlimited seven-year terms, while the Prime Minister continues to be appointed by the President, underscoring the centralization of political power.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
Human settlement in the CAR dates back at least 8 000 years, with the forest-dwelling Aka (Pygmy) peoples representing some of the earliest inhabitants in the western and southern regions Today, the majority of the population comprises diverse Bantu ethnic groups such as the Sara, Gbaya, and Mandjia alongside non-Bantu communities like the Fulani and Mbororo, each contributing unique languages and customs to the national fabric Traditional music, dance, storytelling, and crafts (notably weaving and pottery) remain vital expressions of cultural identity, passed down through generations despite the pressures of modernization and conflict. The Barthélémy Boganda National Ethnographic Museum in Bangui, founded in 1966, safeguards over 3 500 artifacts ranging from pottery and masks to musical instruments offering a window into the CAR’s ethnographic diversity and historical legacy.
Geographical Landscape and Climate
The CAR is a landlocked country of approximately 622 984 km² bordered by six nations: Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its terrain is dominated by flat to rolling plateau savanna (500 m above sea level), with the Fertit Hills in the northeast and the granite Yade Massif rising to over 1 100 ft in the northwest. Forests cover about 36% of the land—home to commercially important species like Ayous and Sapele though deforestation has accelerated in recent years. Climatically, the country exhibits a tropical savanna (Köppen Aw) regime in most areas, with monsoon influences (Köppen Am) in the south and semi-arid (BSh) conditions in the north; there is a pronounced rainy season (March–October in the south, June–September in the north) followed by a dry season marked by hot, dusty Harmattan winds in the north.
