Geography and Environment of Central African Republic

The Central African Republic, formerly known as the territory of Oubangui-Chari, was one of four territories of French Equatorial Africa. It became an autonomous republic within the newly established French Community on December 1, 1958, and was renamed the Central African Republic 2 years later. It transformed itself into the Central African Empire on December 4, 1976, and again became a republic (Republique Centrafricaine) on September 20, 1979. The Central African Republic is a landlocked country on a broad plateau in the heart of the African Continent. With an area of 238,000 square miles. It is bordered on the north by Chad, on the east by Sudan, on the south by the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) and the Republic of Congo, and on the west by Cameroon. Most of the country is between 1,300 and 3,600 feet above sea level, with an average altitude of about 2,000 feet. The country is a watershed for the Lake Chad/Chari River Basin to the north and the Congo River Basin to the south. Although rivers are numerous, they are small and do not lend themselves to heavy commerce. The Oubangui River is commercially navigable only downstream from Bangi, and usually only between the months of July and January. Vegetation varies from tropical rain forest in the extreme southwest to semidesert in the northeast. The bulk of the country is wooded savanna.

Detailed geography