text:
"CAR" redirects here. For the region in the Philippines, see Cordillera Administrative Region. For other uses, see Car (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 7°N 21°E / 7°N 21°E / 7; 21
Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka (Sango)
République centrafricaine (French)
Motto: "Unité, Dignité, Travail" (French)
"Unity, Dignity, Work"
Anthem: E Zingo (Sango)
La Renaissance (French)
"The Renaissance"
Location of Central African Republic (dark blue)
– in Africa (light blue & dark grey)
– in the African Union (light blue)
4°22′N 18°35′E / 4.367°N 18.583°E / 4.367; 18.583
Mandjia
Mboum
M'Baka
Yakoma
Predominantly Christianity
Central African
Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Firmin Ngrébada (fr)
• from France
• Central African Empire established
• Republic restored
622,984 km2 (240,535 sq mi) (44th)
4,594,621[1] (119th)
7.1/km2 (18.4/sq mi) (221st)
high · 28th
low · 188th
UTC+1 (WAT)
right[6]
The Central African Republic (CAR; Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka; French: République centrafricaine pronounced [ʁepyblik sɑ̃tʁafʁikɛn], or Centrafrique [sɑ̃tʁafʁik]) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi) and had an estimated population of around 4.6 million as of 2016[update]. As of 2019[update], the CAR is the scene of a civil war, ongoing since 2012.[7]
Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas, but the country also includes a Sahelo-Sudanian zone in the north and an equatorial forest zone in the south. Two thirds of the country is within the Ubangi River basin (which flows into the Congo), while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Chari, which flows into Lake Chad.
What is today the Central African Republic has been inhabited for millennia; however, the country's current borders were established by France, which ruled the country as a colony starting in the late 19th century. After gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders, including an abortive attempt at a monarchy;[8] by the 1990s, calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993. Ange-Félix Patassé became president, but was later removed by General François Bozizé in the 2003 coup. The Central African Republic Bush War began in 2004 and, despite a peace treaty in 2007 and another in 2011, civil war resumed in 2012.
Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources, such as uranium reserves, crude oil, gold, diamonds, cobalt, lumber, and hydropower,[9] as well as significant quantities of arable land, the Central African Republic is among the ten poorest countries in the world, with the lowest GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in the world as of 2017.[10] As of 2019[update], according to the Human Development Index (HDI), the country had the second lowest level of human development, ranking 188th out of 189 countries.[5] It is also estimated to be the unhealthiest country[11] as well as the worst country in which to be young.[12] The Central African Republic is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the Non-Aligned Movement.
1.2 16th–19th century
1.3 French colonial period
1.4 Since independence (1960–present)
1.4.1 Bokassa and the Central African Empire (1965–1979)
1.4.2 Central African Republic under Kolingba
1.4.3 Patassé Government (1993–2003)
1.4.4 Civil wars
2.1 Wildlife
2.3 Prefectures and sub-prefectures
5 Government and politics
5.1 Executive branch
5.2 Legislative branch
5.3 Judicial branch
5.4.1 Foreign aid and UN Involvement
7.2 Energy
7.3 Communications
8.1 Higher education
10 Human rights
Main article: History of the Central African Republic
The Bouar Megaliths, pictured here on a 1967 Central African stamp, date back to the very late Neolithic Era (c. 3500–2700 BC).
Approximately 10,000 years ago, desertification forced hunter-gatherer societies south into the Sahel regions of northern Central Africa, where some groups settled.[13] Farming began as part of the Neolithic Revolution.[14] Initial farming of white yam progressed into millet and sorghum, and before 3000 BC[15] the domestication of African oil palm improved the groups' nutrition and allowed for expansion of the local populations.[16] This Agricultural Revolution, combined with a "Fish-stew Revolution", in which fishing began to take place, and the use of boats, allowed for the transportation of goods. Products were often moved in ceramic pots, which are the first known examples of artistic expression from the region's inhabitants.[13]
The Bouar Megaliths in the western region of the country indicate an advanced level of habitation dating back to the very late Neolithic Era (c. 3500–2700 BC).[17][18] Ironworking arrived in the region around 1000 BC from both Bantu cultures in what is today Nigeria and from the Nile city of Meroë, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush.[19]
During the Bantu Migrations from about 1000 BC to AD 1000, Ubangian-speaking people spread eastward from Cameroon to Sudan, Bantu-speaking people settled in the southwestern regions of the CAR, and Central Sudanic-speaking people settled along the Ubangi River in what is today Central and East CAR.[citation needed]
Bananas arrived in the region[when?] and added an important source of carbohydrates to the diet; they were also used in the production of alcoholic beverages. Production of copper, salt, dried fish, and textiles dominated the economic trade in the Central African region.[20]
16th–19th century[edit]
Main article: Arab slave trade
The Sultan of Bangassou and his wives, 1906
During the 16th and 17th centuries slave traders began to raid the region as part of the expansion of the Saharan and Nile River slave routes. Their captives were enslaved and shipped to the Mediterranean coast, Europe, Arabia, the Western Hemisphere, or to the slave ports and factories along the West and North Africa or South the Ubanqui and Congo rivers.[21][22] In the mid 19th century, the Bobangi people became major slave traders and sold their captives to the Americas using the Ubangi river to reach the coast.[23] During the 18th century Bandia-Nzakara peoples established the Bangassou Kingdom along the Ubangi River.[22] In 1875, the Sudanese sultan Rabih az-Zubayr governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day CAR.
French colonial period[edit]
Main articles: Ubangi-Shari and French Equatorial Africa
The European invasion of Central African territory began in the late 19th century during the Scramble for Africa.[24] Europeans, primarily the French, Germans, and Belgians, arrived in the area in 1885. France seized and colonized Ubangi-Shari territory in 1894. In 1911 at the Treaty of Fez, France ceded a nearly 300,000 km² portion of the Sangha and Lobaye basins to the German Empire which ceded a smaller area (in present-day Chad) to France. After World War I France again annexed the territory. Modeled on King Leopold's Congo Free State, concessions were doled out to private companies that endeavored to strip the region's assets as quickly and cheaply as possible before depositing a percentage of their profits into the French treasury. The concessionary companies forced local people to harvest rubber, coffee, and other commodities without pay and held their families hostage until they met their quotas. Between 1890, a year after the French first arrived, and 1940, the population declined by half due to diseases, famine and exploitation by private companies.[25]
Charles de Gaulle in Bangui, 1940.
In 1920 French Equatorial Africa was established and Ubangi-Shari was administered from Brazzaville.[26] During the 1920s and 1930s the French introduced a policy of mandatory cotton cultivation,[26] a network of roads was built, attempts were made to combat sleeping sickness, and Protestant missions were established to spread Christianity[citation needed]. New forms of forced labor were also introduced and a large number of Ubangians were sent to work on the Congo-Ocean Railway. Through the period of construction until 1934 there was a continual heavy cost in human lives, with total deaths among all workers along the railway estimated in excess of 17,000 of the construction workers, from a combination of both industrial accidents and diseases including malaria.[27] In 1928, a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara rebellion or 'war of the hoe handle', broke out in Western Ubangi-Shari and continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, which was perhaps the largest anti-colonial rebellion in Africa during the interwar years, was carefully hidden from the French public because it provided evidence of strong opposition to French colonial rule and forced labor.
In September 1940, during the Second World War, pro-Gaullist French officers took control of Ubangi-Shari and General Leclerc established his headquarters for the Free French Forces in Bangui.[28] In 1946 Barthélémy Boganda was elected with 9,000 votes to the French National Assembly, becoming the first representative of the CAR in the French government. Boganda maintained a political stance against racism and the colonial regime but gradually became disheartened with the French political system and returned to CAR to establish the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire, MESAN) in 1950.
Since independence (1960–present)[edit]
In the Ubangi-Shari Territorial Assembly election in 1957, MESAN captured 347,000 out of the total 356,000 votes,[29] and won every legislative seat,[30] which led to Boganda being elected president of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa and vice-president of the Ubangi-Shari Government Council.[31] Within a year, he declared the establishment of the Central African Republic and served as the country's first prime minister. MESAN continued to exist, but its role was limited.[32] After Boganda's death in a plane crash on 29 March 1959, his cousin, David Dacko, took control of MESAN and became the country's first president after the CAR had formally received independence from France. Dacko threw out his political rivals, including former Prime Minister and Mouvement d'évolution démocratique de l'Afrique centrale (MEDAC), leader Abel Goumba, whom he forced into exile in France. With all opposition parties suppressed by November 1962, Dacko declared MESAN as the official party of the state.[33]
Bokassa and the Central African Empire (1965–1979)[edit]
Further information: Central African Empire
Jean-Bédel Bokassa, self-crowned Emperor of Central Africa.[8]
On 31 December 1965, Dacko was overthrown in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. President Bokassa declared himself President for Life in 1972, and named himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire (as the country was renamed) on 4 December 1976. A year later, Emperor Bokassa crowned himself in a lavish and expensive ceremony that was ridiculed by much of the world.[8]
In April 1979, young students protested against Bokassa's decree that all school attendees would need to buy uniforms from a company owned by one of his wives. The government violently suppressed the protests, killing 100 children and teenagers. Bokassa himself may have been personally involved in some of the killings.[34] In September 1979, France overthrew Bokassa and restored Dacko to power (subsequently restoring the name of the country and the original government to the Central African Republic). Dacko, in turn, was again overthrown in a coup by General André Kolingba on 1 September 1981.
Central African Republic under Kolingba[edit]
Kolingba suspended the constitution and ruled with a military junta until 1985. He introduced a new constitution in 1986 which was adopted by a nationwide referendum. Membership in his new party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain (RDC), was voluntary. In 1987 and 1988, semi-free elections to parliament were held, but Kolingba's two major political opponents, Abel Goumba and Ange-Félix Patassé, were not allowed to participate.[35]
By 1990, inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pro-democracy movement arose. Pressure from the United States, France, and from a group of locally represented countries and agencies called GIBAFOR (France, the US, Germany, Japan, the EU, the World Bank, and the UN) finally led Kolingba to agree, in principle, to hold free elections in October 1992 with help from the UN Office of Electoral Affairs. After using the excuse of alleged irregularities to suspend the results of the elections as a pretext for holding on to power, President Kolingba came under intense pressure from GIBAFOR to establish a "Conseil National Politique Provisoire de la République" (Provisional National Political Council, CNPPR) and to set up a "Mixed Electoral Commission", which included representatives from all political parties.[35]
When a second round of elections were finally held in 1993, again with the help of the international community coordinated by GIBAFOR, Ange-Félix Patassé won in the second round of voting with 53% of the vote while Goumba won 45.6%. Patassé's party, the Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (MLPC) or Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People, gained a simple but not an absolute majority of seats in parliament, which meant Patassé's party required coalition partners.[35]
Patassé Government (1993–2003)[edit]
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. (January 2015)
Patassé purged many of the Kolingba elements from the government and Kolingba supporters accused Patassé's government of conducting a "witch hunt" against the Yakoma. A new constitution was approved on 28 December 1994 but had little impact on the country's politics. In 1996–1997, reflecting steadily decreasing public confidence in the government's erratic behaviour, three mutinies against Patassé's administration were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and heightened ethnic tension. During this time (1996) the Peace Corps evacuated all its volunteers to neighboring Cameroon. To date, the Peace Corps has not returned to the Central African Republic. The Bangui Agreements, signed in January 1997, provided for the deployment of an inter-African military mission, to Central African Republic and re-entry of ex-mutineers into the government on 7 April 1997. The inter-African military mission was later replaced by a U.N. peacekeeping force (MINURCA). Since 1997, the country has hosted almost a dozen peacekeeping interventions, earning it the title of "world champion of peacekeeping".[25]
In 1998, parliamentary elections resulted in Kolingba's RDC winning 20 out of 109 seats but in 1999, in spite of widespread public anger in urban centers over his corrupt rule, Patassé won a second term in the presidential election.
On 28 May 2001, rebels stormed strategic buildings in Bangui in an unsuccessful coup attempt. The army chief of staff, Abel Abrou, and General François N'Djadder Bedaya were killed, but Patassé regained the upper hand by bringing in at least 300 troops of the Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Libyan soldiers.[36]
In the aftermath of the failed coup, militias loyal to Patassé sought revenge against rebels in many neighborhoods of Bangui and incited unrest including the murder of many political opponents. Eventually, Patassé came to suspect that General François Bozizé was involved in another coup attempt against him, which led Bozizé to flee with loyal troops to Chad. In March 2003, Bozizé launched a surprise attack against Patassé, who was out of the country. Libyan troops and some 1,000 soldiers of Bemba's Congolese rebel organization failed to stop the rebels and Bozizé's forces succeeded in overthrowing Patassé.[37]
Civil wars[edit]
Rebel militia in the northern countryside, 2007.
See also: Central African Republic Bush War and Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present)
François Bozizé suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet, which included most opposition parties. Abel Goumba was named vice-president, which gave Bozizé's new government a positive image.[why?] Bozizé established a broad-based National Transition Council to draft a new constitution, and announced that he would step down and run for office once the new constitution was approved.
In 2004, the Central African Republic Bush War began, as forces opposed to Bozizé took up arms against his government. In May 2005, Bozizé won the presidential election, which excluded Patassé, and in 2006 fighting continued between the government and the rebels.[clarification needed] In November 2006, Bozizé's government requested French military support to help them repel rebels who had taken control of towns in the country's northern regions.[38] Though the initially public details of the agreement pertained to logistics and intelligence, the French assistance eventually[when?] included strikes by Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters against rebel positions.[39]
The Syrte Agreement in February and the Birao Peace Agreement in April 2007 called for a cessation of hostilities, the billeting of FDPC fighters and their integration with FACA, the liberation of political prisoners, integration of FDPC into government, an amnesty for the UFDR, its recognition as a political party, and the integration of its fighters into the national army. Several groups continued to fight but other groups signed on to the agreement, or similar agreements with the government (e.g. UFR on 15 December 2008). The only major group not to sign an agreement at the time was the CPJP, which continued its activities and signed a peace agreement with the government on 25 August 2012.
In 2011, Bozizé was reelected in an election which was widely considered fraudulent.[9]
In November 2012, Séléka, a coalition of rebel groups, took over towns in the northern and central regions of the country. These groups eventually reached a peace deal with the Bozizé's government in January 2013 involving a power sharing government[9] but this deal broke down and the rebels seized the capital in March 2013 and Bozizé fled the country.[40][41]
Michel Djotodia took over as president. Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye requested a UN peacekeeping force from the UN Security Council and on 31 May former President Bozizé was indicted for crimes against humanity and incitement of genocide.[42] By the end of the year there were international warnings of a "genocide"[43][44] and fighting was largely from reprisal attacks on civilians from Seleka's predominantly Muslim fighters and Christian militias called "anti-balaka."[45] By August 2013, there were reports of over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)[46][47]
Refugees of the fighting in the Central African Republic, January 2014
French President François Hollande called on the UN Security Council and African Union to increase their efforts to stabilize the country. On 18 February 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the UN Security Council to immediately deploy 3,000 troops to the country, bolstering the 6,000 African Union soldiers and 2,000 French troops already in the country, to combat civilians being murdered in large numbers. The Séléka government was said to be divided.[48] and in September 2013, Djotodia officially disbanded Seleka, but many rebels refused to disarm, becoming known as ex-Seleka, and veered further out of government control.[45] It is argued that the focus of the initial disarmament efforts exclusively on the Seleka inadvertently handed the anti-Balaka the upper hand, leading to the forced displacement of Muslim civilians by anti-Balaka in Bangui and western CAR.[25]
On 11 January 2014, Michael Djotodia and Nicolas Tiengaye resigned as part of a deal negotiated at a regional summit in neighboring Chad.[49] Catherine Samba-Panza was elected as interim president by the National Transitional Council,[50] becoming the first ever female Central African president. On 23 July 2014, following Congolese mediation efforts, Séléka and anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement in Brazzaville.[51] By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the anti-Balaka in the southwest and ex-Seleka in the northeast.[25] On 14 December 2015, Séléka rebel leaders declared an independent Republic of Logone.[52]
Main article: Geography of the Central African Republic
Falls of Boali on the Mbali River
A village in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is a landlocked nation within the interior of the African continent. It is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. The country lies between latitudes 2° and 11°N, and longitudes 14° and 28°E.
Much of the country consists of flat or rolling plateau savanna approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) above sea level. Most of the northern half lies within the World Wildlife Fund's East Sudanian savanna ecoregion. In addition to the Fertit Hills in the northeast of the CAR, there are scattered hills in the southwest regions. In the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau with an altitude of 348 metres (1,143 ft).
At 622,941 square kilometres (240,519 sq mi), the Central African Republic is the world's 45th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Ukraine.
Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River; the Mbomou River in the east merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River, which also comprises portions of the southern border. The Sangha River flows through some of the western regions of the country, while the eastern border lies along the edge of the Nile River watershed.
It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts generally located in the southern regions. The forests are highly diverse and include commercially important species of Ayous, Sapelli and Sipo.[53] The deforestation rate is about 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace.[54]
In 2008, Central African Republic was the world's least light pollution affected country.[55]
The Central African Republic is the focal point of the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly, one of the largest magnetic anomalies on Earth.[56]
Wildlife[edit]
Main article: Wildlife of the Central African Republic
In the southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in a rain forest area. The country is noted for its population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas. In the north, the Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park is well-populated with wildlife, including leopards, lions, cheetahs and rhinos, and the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park is located in the northeast of CAR. The parks have been seriously affected by the activities of poachers, particularly those from Sudan, over the past two decades.[57]
Main article: Climate of the Central African Republic
Central African Republic map of Köppen climate classification.
The climate of the Central African Republic is generally tropical, with a wet season that lasts from June to September in the northern regions of the country, and from May to October in the south. During the wet season, rainstorms are an almost daily occurrence, and early morning fog is commonplace. Maximum annual precipitation is approximately 1,800 millimetres (71 in) in the upper Ubangi region.[58]
The northern areas are hot and humid from February to May,[59] but can be subject to the hot, dry, and dusty trade wind known as the Harmattan. The southern regions have a more equatorial climate, but they are subject to desertification, while the extreme northeast regions of the country are already desert.
Prefectures and sub-prefectures[edit]
Main articles: Prefectures of the Central African Republic and Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic
A clickable map of the fourteen prefectures of the Central African Republic.
The Central African Republic is divided into 16 administrative prefectures (préfectures), two of which are economic prefectures (préfectures economiques), and one an autonomous commune; the prefectures are further divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-préfectures).
The prefectures are Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kémo, Lobaye, Mambéré-Kadéï, Mbomou, Nana-Mambéré, Ombella-M'Poko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pendé and Vakaga. The economic prefectures are Nana-Grébizi and Sangha-Mbaéré, while the commune is the capital city of Bangui.
Fula women in Paoua
Main article: Demographics of the Central African Republic
The population of the Central African Republic has almost quadrupled since independence. In 1960, the population was 1,232,000; as of a 2016 UN estimate, it is approximately 4,594,621.[1]
The United Nations estimates that approximately 4% of the population aged between 15 and 49 is HIV positive.[60] Only 3% of the country has antiretroviral therapy available, compared to a 17% coverage in the neighbouring countries of Chad and the Republic of the Congo.[61]
The nation is divided into over 80 ethnic groups, each having its own language. The largest ethnic groups are the Baya, Banda, Mandjia, Sara, Mboum, M'Baka, Yakoma, and Fula or Fulani,[62] with others including Europeans of mostly French descent.[9]
Largest cities or towns in Central African Republic
According to the 2003 Census[63]
Bangui 1 Bangui Bangui 622,771 11 Kaga-Bandoro Nana-Grébizi 24,661
2 Bimbo Ombella-M'Poko 124,176 12 Sibut Kémo 22,419
3 Berbérati Mambéré-Kadéï 76,918 13 Mbaïki Lobaye 22,166
4 Carnot Mambéré-Kadéï 45,421 14 Bozoum Ouham-Pendé 20,665
5 Bambari Ouaka 41,356 15 Paoua Ouham-Pendé 17,370
6 Bouar Nana-Mambéré 40,353 16 Batangafo Ouham 16,420
7 Bossangoa Ouham 36,478 17 Kabo Ouham 16,279
8 Bria Haute-Kotto 35,204 18 Bocaranga Ouham-Pendé 15,744
9 Bangassou Mbomou 31,553 19 Ippy Ouaka 15,196
10 Nola Sangha-Mbaéré 29,181 20 Alindao Basse-Kotto 14,401
Main article: Religion in the Central African Republic
A Christian church in the Central African Republic.
According to the 2003 national census, 80.3% of the population was Christian—51.4% Protestant and 28.9% Roman Catholic—, 10% is Muslim and 4.5 percent other religious groups, with 5.5 percent having no religious beliefs.[64] More recent work from the Pew Research Center estimated that, as of 2010, Christians constituted 89.8% of the population (with Protestantism at 60.7% and Catholicism 28.5%) while Muslims make up 8.9%.[65][66] The Catholic Church claims over 1.5 million adherents, approximately one-third of the population.[67] Indigenous belief (animism) is also practiced, and many indigenous beliefs are incorporated into Christian and Islamic practice.[68] A UN director described religious tensions between Muslims and Christians as being high.[69]
There are many missionary groups operating in the country, including Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Grace Brethren, and Jehovah's Witnesses. While these missionaries are predominantly from the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, many are also from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other African countries. Large numbers of missionaries left the country when fighting broke out between rebel and government forces in 2002–3, but many of them have now returned to continue their work.[70]
According to Overseas Development Institute research, during the crisis ongoing since 2012, religious leaders have mediated between communities and armed groups; they also provided refuge for people seeking shelter.[71]
Main article: Languages of the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic's two official languages are French and Sango (also spelled Sangho), a creole developed as an inter-ethnic lingua franca based on the local Ngbandi language. CAR is one of the few African countries to have an African language as their official language.[72]
See also: List of African writers (by country) § Central African Republic, and Music of the Central African Republic
Main article: Media of the Central African Republic
See also: Central African Republic at the Olympics
Basketball is the country's most popular sport and a good way to connect with its people.[73][74] Its national team won the African Championship twice and was the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the Basketball World Cup.
The country also has a national football team, which is governed by the Central African Football Federation, and stages matches at the Barthélemy Boganda Stadium.
Government and politics[edit]
Main articles: Politics of the Central African Republic, Central African Republic Council of Ministers, and List of political parties in the Central African Republic
Politics in the Central African Republic formally take place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic. In this system, the President is the head of state, with a Prime Minister as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.
Changes in government have occurred in recent years by three methods: violence, negotiations, and elections. A new constitution was approved by voters in a referendum held on 5 December 2004. The government was rated 'Partly Free' from 1991 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2013.[75]
Executive branch[edit]
The president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term, and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The president also appoints and presides over the Council of Ministers, which initiates laws and oversees government operations. However, as of 2018 the official government is not in control of large parts of the country, which are governed by rebel groups.
Acting president since April 2016 is Faustin Archange Touadera who followed the interim government under Catherine Samba-Panza, interim prime minister André Nzapayeké.
Legislative branch[edit]
The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 105 members, elected for a five-year term using the two-round (or Run-off) system.
Judicial branch[edit]
As in many other former French colonies, the Central African Republic's legal system is based on French law.[76] The Supreme Court, or Cour Supreme, is made up of judges appointed by the president. There is also a Constitutional Court, and its judges are also appointed by the president.
Foreign relations[edit]
See also: Central African Armed Forces and Foreign relations of the Central African Republic
Foreign aid and UN Involvement[edit]
The Central African Republic is heavily dependent upon foreign aid and numerous NGOs provide services that the government does not provide.
In 2006, due to ongoing violence, over 50,000 people in the country's northwest were at risk of starvation[77] but this was averted due to assistance from the United Nations.[citation needed] On 8 January 2008, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon declared that the Central African Republic was eligible to receive assistance from the Peacebuilding Fund.[78] Three priority areas were identified: first, the reform of the security sector; second, the promotion of good governance and the rule of law; and third, the revitalization of communities affected by conflicts. On 12 June 2008, the Central African Republic requested assistance from the UN Peacebuilding Commission,[79] which was set up in 2005 to help countries emerging from conflict avoid devolving back into war or chaos.
In response to concerns of a potential genocide, a peacekeeping force – the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) – was authorized in December 2013. This African Union force of 6,000 personnel was accompanied by the French Operation Sangaris.[71]
Bangui shopping district
Main article: Economy of the Central African Republic
The per capita income of the Republic is often listed as being approximately $400 a year, one of the lowest in the world, but this figure is based mostly on reported sales of exports and largely ignores the unregistered sale of foods, locally produced alcoholic beverages, diamonds, ivory, bushmeat, and traditional medicine.
The currency of Central African Republic is the CFA franc, which is accepted across the former countries of French West Africa and trades at a fixed rate to the euro. Diamonds constitute the country's most important export, accounting for 40–55% of export revenues, but it is estimated that between 30% and 50% of those produced each year leave the country clandestinely.
Graphical depiction of Central African Republic's product exports in 28 color-coded categories
Agriculture is dominated by the cultivation and sale of food crops such as cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame, and plantain. The annual real GDP growth rate is just above 3%. The importance of food crops over exported cash crops is indicated by the fact that the total production of cassava, the staple food of most Central Africans, ranges between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes a year, while the production of cotton, the principal exported cash crop, ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 tonnes a year. Food crops are not exported in large quantities, but still constitute the principal cash crops of the country, because Central Africans derive far more income from the periodic sale of surplus food crops than from exported cash crops such as cotton or coffee.[citation needed] Much of the country is self-sufficient in food crops; however, livestock development is hindered by the presence of the tsetse fly.[citation needed]
The Republic's primary import partner is the Netherlands (19.5%). Other imports come from Cameroon (9.7%), France (9.3%), and South Korea (8.7%). Its largest export partner is Belgium (31.5%), followed by China (27.7%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (8.6%), Indonesia (5.2%), and France (4.5%).[9]
The CAR is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). In the 2009 World Bank Group's report Doing Business, it was ranked 183rd of 183 as regards 'ease of doing business', a composite index which takes into account regulations that enhance business activity and those that restrict it.[80]
Infrastructure[edit]
See also: Transportation in the Central African Republic
Trucks in Bangui
Bangui is the transport hub of the Central African Republic. As of 1999, eight roads connected the city to other main towns in the country, Cameroon, Chad and South Sudan; of these, only the toll roads are paved. During the rainy season from July to October, some roads are impassable.[81][82]
River ferries sail from the river port at Bangui to Brazzaville and Zongo. The river can be navigated most of the year between Bangui and Brazzaville. From Brazzaville, goods are transported by rail to Pointe-Noire, Congo's Atlantic port.[83] The river port handles the overwhelming majority of the country's international trade and has a cargo handling capacity of 350,000 tons; it has 350 metres (1,150 ft) length of wharfs and 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) of warehousing space.[81]
Bangui M'Poko International Airport is Central African Republic's only international airport. As of June 2014 it had regularly scheduled direct flights to Brazzaville, Casablanca, Cotonou, Douala, Kinshasha, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, N'Djamena, Paris, Pointe-Noire, and Yaoundé.
Since at least 2002 there have been plans to connect Bangui by rail to the Transcameroon Railway.[84]
Energy[edit]
See also: Energy in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic primarily uses hydroelectricity as there are few other resources for energy and power.
Communications[edit]
See also: Communications in the Central African Republic
Presently, the Central African Republic has active television services, radio stations, internet service providers, and mobile phone carriers; Socatel is the leading provider for both internet and mobile phone access throughout the country. The primary governmental regulating bodies of telecommunications are the Ministère des Postes and Télécommunications et des Nouvelles Technologies. In addition, the Central African Republic receives international support on telecommunication related operations from ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) within the International Telecommunication Union to improve infrastructure.
Classroom in Sam Ouandja
Main article: Education in the Central African Republic
Public education in the Central African Republic is free and is compulsory from ages 6 to 14.[85] However, approximately half of the adult population of the country is illiterate.[86]
Higher education[edit]
The University of Bangui, a public university located in Bangui, includes a medical school, and Euclid University, an international university in Bangui, are the two institutions of higher education in the Central African Republic.
Healthcare[edit]
Main article: Health in the Central African Republic
Mothers and babies aged between 0 and 5 years are lining up in a Health Post at Begoua, a district of Bangui, waiting for the two drops of the oral polio vaccine.
The largest hospitals in the country are located in the Bangui district. As a member of the World Health Organization, the Central African Republic receives vaccination assistance, such as a 2014 intervention for the prevention of a measles epidemic.[87] In 2007, female life expectancy at birth was 48.2 years and male life expectancy at birth was 45.1 years.[88]
Women's health is poor in the Central African Republic. As of 2010[update], the country had the 4th highest maternal mortality rate in the world.[89] The total fertility rate in 2014 was estimated at 4.46 children born/woman.[9] Approximately 25% of women had undergone female genital mutilation.[90] Many births in the country are guided by traditional birth attendants, who often have little or no formal training.[91]
Malaria is endemic in the Central African Republic, and one of the leading causes of death.[92] According to 2009 estimates, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is about 4.7% of the adult population (ages 15–49).[93] This is in general agreement with the 2016 United Nations estimate of approximately 4%.[94] Government expenditure on health was US$20 (PPP) per person in 2006[88] and 10.9% of total government expenditure in 2006.[88] There was only around 1 physician for every 20,000 persons in 2009.[95]
Human rights[edit]
Main article: Human rights in the Central African Republic
The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted that human rights in CAR were poor and expressed concerns over numerous government abuses.[96] The U.S. State Department alleged that major human rights abuses such as extrajudicial executions by security forces, torture, beatings and rape of suspects and prisoners occurred with impunity. It also alleged harsh and life-threatening conditions in prisons and detention centers, arbitrary arrest, prolonged pretrial detention and denial of a fair trial, restrictions on freedom of movement, official corruption, and restrictions on workers' rights.[96]
The Aka Pygmies living in the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve
The State Department report also cites widespread mob violence, the prevalence of female genital mutilation, discrimination against women and Pygmies, human trafficking, forced labor, and child labor.[97] Freedom of movement is limited in the northern part of the country "because of actions by state security forces, armed bandits, and other nonstate armed entities", and due to fighting between government and anti-government forces, many persons have been internally displaced.[98]
Violence against children and women in relation to accusations of witchcraft has also been cited as a serious problem in the country.[99][100][101] Witchcraft is a criminal offense under the penal code.[99]
Freedom of speech is addressed in the country's constitution, but there have been incidents of government intimidation of the media.[96] A report by the International Research & Exchanges Board's media sustainability index noted that "the country minimally met objectives, with segments of the legal system and government opposed to a free media system".[96]
Approximately 68% of girls are married before they turn 18,[102] and the United Nations' Human Development Index ranked the country 188 out of 188 countries surveyed.[103] The Bureau of International Labor Affairs has also mentioned it in its last edition of the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.
Central African Republic portal
Outline of the Central African Republic
List of Central African Republic-related topics
^ a b "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision". ESA.UN.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
^ countrymeters.info. "Live Central African Republic population (2017). Current population of Central African Republic — Countrymeters". countrymeters.info. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
^ a b c d "Central African Republic". International Monetary Fund.
^ "Gini Index". World Bank. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ Which side of the road do they drive on? Archived 14 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Brian Lucas. August 2005. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
^ Mudge, Lewis (11 December 2018). "World Report 2019: Rights Trends in Central African Republic". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
^ a b c 'Cannibal' dictator Bokassa given posthumous pardon Archived 1 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. 3 December 2010
^ a b c d e f Central African Republic Archived 1 December 2017 at Archive.today. CIA World Factbook
^ World Economic Outlook Database, January 2018 Archived 3 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine, International Monetary Fund Archived 14 February 2006 at Archive-It. Database updated on 12 April 2017. Accessed on 21 April 2017.
^ "These are the world's unhealthiest countries - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 25 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
^ Foundation, Thomson Reuters. "Central African Republic worst country in the world for young people - study". Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
^ a b McKenna, p. 4
^ Brierley, Chris; Manning, Katie; Maslin, Mark (1 October 2018). "Pastoralism may have delayed the end of the green Sahara". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 4018. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9.4018B. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06321-y. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 6167352. PMID 30275473. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
^ Fran Osseo-Asare (2005) Food Culture in Sub Saharan Africa. Greenwood. ISBN 0313324883. p. xxi
^ McKenna, p. 5
^ Methodology and African Prehistory by, UNESCO. International Scientific Committee for the Drafting of a General History of Africa, p. 548
^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Les mégalithes de Bouar" Archived 3 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. UNESCO.
^ McKenna, p. 10
^ International Business Publications, USA (7 February 2007). Central African Republic Foreign Policy and Government Guide (World Strategic and Business Information Library). 1. Int'l Business Publications. p. 47. ISBN 978-1433006210. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
^ a b Alistair Boddy-Evans. Central Africa Republic Timeline – Part 1: From Prehistory to Independence (13 August 1960), A Chronology of Key Events in Central Africa Republic Archived 23 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. About.com
^ "Central African Republic Archived 13 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine". Encyclopædia Britannica.
^ French Colonies – Central African Republic Archived 21 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Discoverfrance.net. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
^ a b c d "One day we will start a big war". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
^ a b Thomas O'Toole (1997) Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Westview Press. p. 111
^ "In pictures: Malaria train, Mayomba forest". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
^ Central African Republic: The colonial era – Britannica Online Encyclopedia Archived 12 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
^ Olson, p. 122.
^ Kalck, p. xxxi.
^ Kalck, p. 90.
^ Kalck, p. 136.
^ Kalck, p. xxxii.
^ "'Good old days' under Bokassa? Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine". BBC News. 2 January 2009
^ a b c "Central African Republic - Discover World". www.discoverworld.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
^ International Crisis Group. "Central African Republic: Anatomy of a Phantom State" (PDF). CrisisGroup.org. International Crisis Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
^ "Central African Republic History". DiscoverWorld.com. 2018. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
^ "CAR hails French pledge on rebels". BBC. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
^ "French planes attack CAR rebels". BBC. 30 November 2006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
^ "Central African Republic president flees capital amid violence, official says". CNN. 24 March 2013. Archived from the original on 25 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
^ Lydia Polgreen (25 March 2013). "Leader of Central African Republic Fled to Cameroon, Official Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^ "CrisisWatch N°117" Archived 20 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. crisisgroup.org.
^ "UN warning over Central African Republic genocide risk". BBC News. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^ "France says Central African Republic on verge of genocide". Reuters. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
^ a b Smith, David (22 November 2013) Unspeakable horrors in a country on the verge of genocide Archived 2 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian. Retrieved 23 November 2013
^ Mark Tran (14 August 2013). "Central African Republic crisis to be scrutinised by UN security council". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
^ "CAR interim President Michel Djotodia resigns". BBC News. 11 January 2014. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ Paul-Marin Ngoupana (11 January 2014). "Central African Republic's capital tense as ex-leader heads into exile". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
^ "RCA : signature d'un accord de cessez-le-feu à Brazzaville Archived 29 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine". VOA. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
^ "Rebel declares autonomous state in Central African Republic Archived 18 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine". Reuters. 16 December 2015.
^ "Sold Down the River (English)" Archived 13 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. forestsmonitor.org.
^ "The Forests of the Congo Basin: State of the Forest 2006". Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2010. . CARPE 13 July 2007
^ National Geographic Magazine, November 2008
^ L. A. G. Antoine; W. U. Reimold; A. Tessema (1999). "The Bangui Magnetic Anomaly Revisited" (PDF). Proceedings 62nd Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting. 34: A9. Bibcode:1999M&PSA..34Q...9A. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
^ "Wildlife of northern Central African Republic in danger". phys.org. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
^ Central African Republic: Country Study Guide volume 1, p. 24.
^ Ward, Inna, ed. (2007). Whitaker's Almanack (139th ed.). London: A & C Black. p. 796. ISBN 978-0-7136-7660-0.
^ "Central African Republic". Unaids.org. 29 July 2008. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
^ ANNEX 3: Country progress indicators Archived 9 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. unaids.org
^ In Fula: Fulɓe; in French: Peul
^ http://citypopulation.de/Centralafrica.html
^ "International Religious Freedom Report 2010". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Table: Christian Population as Percentages of Total Population by Country". Pew Research Center. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^ "Table: Muslim Population by Country". Pew Research Center. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^ "Central African Republic, Statistics by Diocese". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
^ "Central African Republic". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "Central African Republic: Religious tinderbox". BBC News. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
^ "Central African Republic. International Religious Freedom Report 2006". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
^ a b Veronique Barbelet (2015) Central African Republic: addressing the protection crisis Archived 22 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine London: Overseas Development Institute
^ See list of official languages by state on Wikipedia
^ Country Profile – Central African Republic-Sports and Activities Archived 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Indo-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ Central African Republic — Things to Do Archived 25 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, iExplore Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ "FIW Score". Freedom House. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
^ "Legal System". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
^ CAR: Food shortages increase as fighting intensifies in the northwest Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. irinnews.org, 29 March 2006
^ Central African Republic Peacebuilding Fund – Overview Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. United Nations.
^ "Peacebuilding Commission Places Central African Republic On Agenda; Ambassador Tells Body 'CAR Will Always Walk Side By Side With You, Welcome Your Advice'". United Nations. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
^ Doing Business 2010. Central African Republic. Doing Business. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; The World Bank. 2009. doi:10.1596/978-0-8213-7961-5. ISBN 978-0-8213-7961-5.
^ a b Eur, pp. 200–202
^ Graham Booth; G. R McDuell; John Sears (1999). World of Science: 2. Oxford University Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-19-914698-7. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
^ "Central African Republic: Finance and trade". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
^ Eur, p. 185
^ "Central African Republic". Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2001). Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor (2002). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Central African Republic – Statistics". UNICEF. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
^ "WHO – Health in Central African Republic". Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ a b c "Human Development Report 2009 – Central African Republic". Hdrstats.undp.org. Archived from the original on 5 September 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
^ "Country Comparison :: Maternal mortality rate". The World Factbook. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "WHO – Female genital mutilation and other harmful practices". Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "Mother and child health in Central African Republic". Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "Malaria – one of the leading causes of death in the Central African Republic". Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ CIA World Factbook: HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate Archived 21 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Cia.gov. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
^ "Central African Republic". Unaids.org. 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
^ "WHO Country Offices in the WHO African Region – WHO | Regional Office for Africa". Afro.who.int. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
^ a b c d 2009 Human Rights Report: Central African Republic . U.S. Department of State, 11 March 2010.
^ "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor – Central African Republic" Archived 3 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine. dol.gov.
^ "2010 Human Rights Report: Central African Republic". US Department of State. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
^ a b "UNICEF WCARO – Media Centre – Central African Republic: Children, not witches". Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ "Report: Accusations of child witchcraft on the rise in Africa". Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
^ UN human rights chief says impunity major challenge in run-up to elections in Central African Republic Archived 27 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. ohchr.org. 19 February 2010
^ "Child brides around the world sold off like cattle". USA Today. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
^ "Central African Republic". International Human Development Indicators. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
Eur (31 October 2002). Africa South of the Sahara 2003. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-85743-131-5.
Kalck, Pierre (2004). Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic.
McKenna, Amy (2011). The History of Central and Eastern Africa. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1615303229.
Balogh, Besenyo, Miletics, Vogel: La République Centrafricaine
Doeden, Matt, Central African Republic in Pictures (Twentyfirst Century Books, 2009).
Petringa, Maria, Brazza, A Life for Africa (2006). ISBN 978-1-4259-1198-0.
Titley, Brian, Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa, 2002.
Woodfrok, Jacqueline, Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic (Greenwood Press, 2006).
Central African Republicat Wikipedia's sister projects
Scholia has a country profile for Central African Republic.
"Central African Republic". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
Central African Republic from UCB Libraries GovPubs
Central African Republic at Curlie
Wikimedia Atlas of the Central African Republic
Key Development Forecasts for the Central African Republic from International Futures
Central African Republic news headline links from AllAfrica.com
Central African Republic at Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team (HDPT)
Johann Hari in Birao, Central African Republic. "Inside France's Secret War" from The Independent, 5 October 2007
Central African Republic articles
Ubangi-Shari
Kongo-Wara rebellion
Central African Empire
2012–2014 conflict
under Djotodia
Conflict since 2015
Ecoregions
CFA franc (currency)
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
French Community
Cyprus1
North Macedonia2
1 Associate member.
2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute.
Agence universitaire de la Francophonie
Secretaries-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Michaëlle Jean
UN French Language Day
International Francophonie Day
Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie
Senghor University
AFFOI
MusicBrainz: 863f49fc-16d0-3fa8-beae-242fc8ab114b
Retrieved from "https:/w/index.php?title=Central_African_Republic&oldid=906848462"
Member states of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
Central African countries
1960 establishments in the Central African Republic
Webarchive template other archives
Articles containing Fula-language text
Use dmy dates from March 2015
Articles containing Sango-language text
Vague or ambiguous time from June 2014
Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2018
Vague or ambiguous time from September 2018
Articles prone to spam from May 2012
Related to Central African Republic
Bangui is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. As of 2012 it had an estimated population of 734,350. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River ; the Ubangi itself was named from the Bobangi word for the "rapids" located beside the settlement, which marked the end of navigable water north from Brazzaville. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, in Bangui and the surrounding area.
François Bozizé Yangouvonda is a Central African politician who was the President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013.
Ange-Félix Patassé
Ange-Félix Patassé was a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 1993 until 2003, when he was deposed by the rebel leader François Bozizé. Patassé was the first president in the CAR's history to be chosen in what was generally regarded as a fairly democratic election (1993) in that it was brought about by donor pressure on the André Kolingba and assisted by the United Nations Electoral Assistance Unit. He was chosen a second time in a fair election (1999) as well. However, during his first term in office (1993–1999), three military mutinies in 1996–1997 led to increasing conflict between so-called "northerners" and "southerners". Expatriate mediators and peacekeeping troops were brought in to negotiate peace accords between Patassé and the mutineers and to maintain law and order. During his second term as president, Patassé increasingly lost the support of many of his long-time allies as well as the French, who had intervened to support him during his first term in office. Patassé was ousted in March 2003 and went into exile in Togo.
David Dacko
David Dacko was the 1st President of the Central African Republic from 14 August 1960 to 1 January 1966, and 3rd President from 21 September 1979 to 1 September 1981. After his second removal from power in a coup d'état led by General André Kolingba, he pursued an active career as an opposition politician and presidential candidate with many loyal supporters; Dacko was an important political figure in the country for over 50 years.
List of heads of state of the Central African Republic
This article lists the heads of state of the Central African Republic and the Central African Empire. There have been seven heads of state in the history of the Central African Republic and the Central African Empire since independence was obtained from the French on 13 August 1960. This list includes not only those persons who were sworn into office as President of the Central African Republic but also those who served as de facto heads of state.
André Kolingba
André-Dieudonné Kolingba was a Central African politician, who was the fourth President of the Central African Republic (CAR), from 1 September 1981 until 1 October 1993. He took power from President David Dacko in a bloodless coup d'état in 1981 and lost power to Ange-Félix Patassé in a democratic election held in 1993. Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the fall of the Berlin Wall, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.
List of heads of government of the Central African Republic
This article lists the heads of government of the Central African Republic and the Central African Empire. There have been twenty-three heads of government of Central African Republic and the Central African Empire. The office of Prime Minister, the head of government, was created when the Central African Republic became an autonomous territory of France in December 1958. It was originally the highest post of the Central African Republic, though France did maintain a governor in the territory. After the Central African Republic declared its independence and became a republic on 13 August 1960, David Dacko held both the Prime Minister and newly created President of the Central African Republic posts briefly before eliminating the Prime Minister position and placing all executive power in the office of the President.
Zongo, Sud-Ubangi (DR Congo)
Zongo is a city in Sud-Ubangi Province in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the south bank of the Ubangi River, across from Bangui in the Central African Republic. It is linked by ferry to Bangui but has declined in importance as a transport hub since much traffic moved east in the late 1980s.
Central African Republic–China relations
Central African Republic–People's Republic of China relations refer to the bilateral relations of the Central African Republic and the People's Republic of China. Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Central African Republic were established on September 29, 1964 when the CAR's government severed diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). China's ambassador to the Central African Republic is Ma Fulin as of 2017.
Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present)
The Central African Republic conflict is an ongoing civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) involving the government, rebels from the Séléka coalition, and anti-balaka militias.
2015–16 Central African general election
General elections were held in the Central African Republic on 30 December 2015 to elect the President and National Assembly. As no presidential candidate received more than 50% of the vote, and following the annulling of the results of the National Assembly elections by the Transitional Constitutional Court, a second round of the presidential elections and a re-run of the parliamentary vote took place on 14 February 2016, with run-offs on 31 March 2016.
Nicolas Tiangaye
Nicolas Tiangaye is a Central African politician and lawyer who was Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from 17 January 2013 until his resignation on 10 January 2014. He was President of the National Transitional Council from 2003 to 2005.
Democratic Movement for the Renaissance and Evolution of Central Africa
The Democratic Movement for the Renaissance and Evolution of Central Africa is a political party in the Central African Republic.
Central African Republic–France relations
Central African Republic–France relations are foreign relations between the Central African Republic (CAR) and France. Both nations are members of the Francophonie and the United Nations.


text:
Q: Mac Location Services: Frequent Polling? I frequently see the Location icon in my menu bar despite not having any apps running that use it. When I click it, it says Maps is using my location, even when I don't have the maps open at all. Is this normal? Should I be worried about some kind of security issue?

A: Most probably it is significant locations, which might need maps to name the coordinates.

Significant Locations allows your Mac to identify places significant to you in order to provide useful location-related information in Maps, Calendar, Reminders and more. Significant Locations are encrypted and can't be read by Apple. Click Details to view a list of locations that have been identified. You can select and remove locations from the list or click Clear History to remove all the locations.

*

*https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mh35873/mac

*https://osxdaily.com/2019/09/05/disable-clear-significant-locations-mac/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
ContainmentMainstream News
5 Nov at 5:47 am
webrulon
Bank of England deploys more stimulus as lockdown begins
The Bank of England has increased its monetary stimulus by a bigger than anticipated 150 billion pounds ($195 billion) as it tries to boost the economy through new lockdown measures
By PAN PYLAS Associated Press
LONDON — The Bank of England has increased its monetary stimulus by a bigger than anticipated 150 billion pounds ($195 billion) as it tries to boost the economy through new lockdown measures.
In a statement released Thursday, the bank's rate-setting panel warned that the economy is set for another downturn in the winter but said a recession — two straight quarters of contraction — may be avoided. It said the outlook for the economy remains "unusually uncertain."
A four-week lockdown began Thursday in England that will shut all shops selling items deemed non-essential, such as books and clothes. The other nations of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have also announced wide-ranging restrictions on economic activity.
The latest measures will weigh on an economy that had been recovering from the sharp recession caused by the spring lockdown. During the earlier lockdown, the British economy contracted by around a quarter. It recouped some of that during the summer, though the bank said it was still 9% smaller than its pre-COVID level at the end of the third quarter.
In a set of new forecasts, the central bank said it now expects that recovery to end and the economy to shrink 2% in the fourth quarter before rebounding at the beginning of 2021 — assuming the restrictions start to be lifted. As a result of the latest contraction, it now doesn't expect the British economy to reach its pre-COVID level until the first quarter of 2022.
The increase in the bond-buying program was bigger than the 100 billion pounds anticipated in financial markets and is aimed at keeping borrowing rates low to boost lending and ensuring that money keeps flowing through the financial system.
"We believe there is value in acting quickly and strongly to support the economy and avoid the risks of any short-term disruption," Bank Governor Andrew Bailey told reporters.
The nine-member Monetary Policy Committee, which also unanimously kept its main interest rate at the record low of 0.1%, welcomed the decision by the government to extend the salary support program has been in place since March. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is expected to outline on Thursday further government support for the economy.
The panel said the extension of the Job Retention Scheme, which sees the government paying 80% of the salaries of workers retained by firms rather than made redundant, should "mitigate significantly" the impact of weaker economic activity on the labour market. It expects the number of people on furlough to more than double in November to 5.5 million.
Though the furlough program prevented mass unemployment earlier this year, the jobless rate has edged up from a four-decade low of 3.8% to 4.5%, with the likes of British Airways, Royal Mail and Rolls-Royce all laying off thousands.
On Thursday, supermarket chain Sainsbury's became the latest big company to announce hefty cuts. It said it will shed around 3,500 jobs as part of plans to permanently close its meat, fish and deli counters, as well as some of its Argos standalone stores.
Given the outlook, the Bank of England expects the unemployment rate to rise to a peak of 7.75% in the second quarter of next year.
In addition to uncertainty relating to the pandemic, the Bank of England said much of the outlook will hinge on "the nature of, and transition to the new trading arrangements between the European Union and the United Kingdom."
Though the U.K. left the bloc on Jan. 31, it is in a transition period that sees it remain within the EU's tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of this year.
A trade deal would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services.
Containment, Mainstream News
Head of Serbian Orthodox Church in hospital with coronavirus
Riot declared in Portland as rioters smash windows
Toronto restaurant owner arrested for defying coronavirus restrictions
'Killing Spree': DeSantis Extends Ban On Mask Enforcement Amid Florida COVID-19 Spike
Amid COVID-19 surge, health workers and families do their Thanksgiving best
Protesting America's past? Statues of former presidents, other historical monuments vandalized in 4 states over Thanksgiving
CPR Pocket Mask
Open Seed Vault
Open Seed Vault Survival Garden
Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough and Chest Congestion DM
Gourmia Food Dehydrator
New-Skin Liquid Bandage
Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin Astringent
Sustain Supply Co.
Sustain Supply Emergency Survival Bag
Face Mask with Removable Eye Shield
Pump Hand Sanitizer
Capsuline
Capsuline Empty Gelatin Capsules Size 00

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home » The Street: NYC's Music Row
more... The Low End • Gear • Gear Blog • Bass Gear • July 2009
The Street: NYC's Music Row
Kevin Borden
The definition of influence is something that affects the outcome of something else. Influence is a force that alters the final determination. There have been articles in every type of magazine about the closing of Manny's Music. It was on every TV station (at least in NYC); it has been in many blogs and more forums. Manny's was more than just a retailer. And Manny's was only a piece of the cosmos of 48th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues for decades.
The first time my grandparents saw the Statue of Liberty, their most influential image of America, it made them real Americans, real New Yorkers. The winter before 9/11, I took my oldest daughter to work with me in Lower Manhattan. As we left the subway at the WTC, a fireman from the firehouse across the street hit her with a snowball. That was my daughter's first NYC moment. The events of 9/11 made her an American, a New Yorker—especially when she asked about the "fireboys," and I explained to her what had happened.
For me, it was the summer of 1975. Someone explained to me that I just had to go to 48th Street. It was an event! That trip was the biggest influence on my teenage life, possibly my entire life. That was the day I became a bass player. That trip made me a real New Yorker, a real American, and a real musician. So, in this column I'm going to self indulgently reminisce about the great basses, the terrific people and wonderful stories about "The Street," also known as Music Row, 48th and Seventh.
I started visiting The Street as a teen from an outer borough during the time of Taxi Driver-esque Times Square. Times Square at 42nd Street was a dump loaded with drug dealers, addicts, hookers, porno theaters, hobos, and every form of dreck. It infiltrated a few blocks north to about 45th Street, and a few blocks south into the Garment Center, and went from Fifth Ave heading west until the Hudson River. To make this trip, I'd do the usual walk to the Great Kills Station, take the Staten Island Transit to the Ferry, and then take the R train to 48th and Broadway. We always promised our parents we wouldn't get out a few stops early and walk through Times Square. We never said we were going to Manny's or Sam Ash, or any other store for that matter. We always said we were going to "The Street." There was Terminal Music, Stuyvesant Music, Silver & Horland, Alex Music, Sam Ash, Manny's, We Buy, Alex's Guitar Lab and finally Rudy's, the late-comer.
Rudy's is still the survivor of the independents on Music Row. There were many very cool guitar shops not on 48th Street back in the day. Matt Uminov's in Greenwich Village is still around in its original format. It's hard to believe I've been friends with Rudy Pensa for almost 30 years, and that I've also known Matt Uminov that long. I've been living my dream as a retailer, and I am proud to call these folks my friends.
The Most Amazing Bass in the World
I wish I had a picture of it… hands down the most amazing bass I ever saw. I just didn't realize it until ten years later. The Freidman family owns We Buy Guitars in NYC. Richie Freidman and I have been buddies over 30 years. My friend Eddie Matejka was with me, and it had to be the fall of 1980. Before going to a Plasmatics concert where Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels opened up (I'm still trying to figure that one out) we detoured up to 48th Street. I actually went in to buy a '64 T-bird IV that was in the We Buy window. Richie was enthusiastically calling from the back of the store, "You have to see this!" Richie had seen everything, and to this day I've never seen him so buzzed over a piece. He handed me a '58 or a '59 korina Explorer bass. I remember it had a single mudbucker, and I believe the headstock was crudely assembled (but I'm not positive). The bass was very odd to play: you couldn't play it sitting down; you couldn't play it standing up. I plugged it into an old Acoustic 360 or 370, and it sounded like whale farts. I whipped out my rendition of "The Lemon Song"—it was unrecognizable. "Renegade" didn't work, and "Back in the Saddle" sounded like an out-of-tune foghorn. I'm sure the amp had a ton to do with this. 'Bursts were only a few grand then, and T-birds were about $550. I expected to hear a price of about $750 or so. So how much was this bass? Two-thousand dollars! You could buy two and a half Stack Knobs for "two large" back then. This was no doubt the most expensive bass on the planet. I could drop a year's salary on a bass I really didn't like, or I could buy a T-bird, a Stack Knob, and a '65 Precision? Long story short, I bought the T-bird, I never saw the Explorer bass again, and according to Richie, the bass is in a private collection valued at the gross national product of a small nation.
The Lowdown Wrap-up
I'm stunned, reminiscing about my youth and it seems like yesterday. Rachel, my oldest daughter, is older now than I was when I started going to 48th Street. As I'm writing next month's column, I'm seriously laughing… trust me, it's worth the wait. Until next time, drop the gig bag and bring the cannolis!
Kevin Borden has been a bass player since 1975, and is currently President ofGoodguysguitars.com. Feel free to call him KeBo. He can be reached at Kebobass@yahoo.com.
Recent Articles by Kevin Borden
Let's Make a Deal!
5 Surefire Ways to Vintage Bass Tone
Gibson Basses—A Primer in EB (That's Electric Bass to You)
The Gibson Thunderbird—One of the Greatest!
The Street: NYC's Music Row, Part 2
NYC's West 48th Street - Rudy's Music Stop
Manny's Music - NYC West 48th Street
NYC's West 48th Street - Sammy Ash Guitars
NYC's West 48th Street - Manny's


text:
City council votes to amend College Park's fence ordinance after years of debate
City Council Meeting held at City Hall on March 28th, 2017. Ornelle Chimi/ The Diamondback
After two years of debate, the College Park City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to amend the city's fence ordinance.
The goal of the changes is "to streamline the process, to make it easier to get a variance and make it more clear when a variance is warranted, [and] to ease up on the restriction on front yard fences and garden fences," Mayor Patrick Wojahn said before the meeting.
In 2005, the city adopted its own ordinance because it wanted stricter regulations than those in Prince George's County, City Planning Director Terry Schum said at the July 11 meeting.
The ordinance adopted in 2005 did not allow front yard fences and prohibited chain link as a replacement material in front yards, each with some exceptions, Schum said. It also required permits to install fences on residential properties, and established a requirement that fences must be set back 25 feet from any street, she added.
[Read more: College Park City Council discuss new side path and fencing regulations]
The new ordinance allows front yard fences at or below 3 feet tall, eliminates the setback requirement on corner lots and modifies certain criteria for obtaining variances, among other policies.
Residents spoke at a public hearing in July on the regulations, raising issues with the difficulty of getting a permit or variance, according to the city's agenda. On Tuesday, they weighed in again with their concerns.
Donna Weene, a 34-year District 1 resident, spoke on behalf of the Committee for a Better Environment, questioning front yard garden fence restrictions.
"While we are pleased that the council has recommended the front yard garden fences are permitted, our primary concern is that the council should not restrict the front yard gardens to 25 percent of the front yard," Weene said. "As a city, we are benefit[ted] when the yards are utilized as gardens, which have significant environmental benefits," adding that gardens provide water runoff benefits and support biodiversity.
City Attorney Suellen Ferguson said the new ordinance exempts homeowners from needing a permit within certain parameters. The policy doesn't prevent enclosed areas exceeding 25 percent of the front yard with a permit, but the ordinance states garden fences that enclose less than 25 percent of the front yard don't need permits.
The new ordinance does not require a permit for garden fences in a front yard, if the enclosed area does not exceed 25 percent of the front yard and is at least 4 feet by 6 feet. Materials for these fences are limited to open wire mesh, and fences must be removed once the garden is no longer in cultivation.
Suchitra Balachandran, another CBE member, said she thought someone would need a permit to enclose more than 25 percent of their garden — a provision she thought should be removed.
"[The Committee for a Better Environment] feel[s] that any biodiversity and planting should be encouraged, and frankly we feel that lawns should be discouraged," Balachandran said. "We just think that if residents are given the opportunity, they might have a beautiful garden with a beautiful front yard fence and a lot of interesting things growing in there."
[Read more: College Park's water supplier presents options for mandatory change to its rate structure]
Rick Hudson, a District 1 resident, said the council may want to delay the changes and table the issue, because it's "real confusing."
"Not understanding the laws and not understanding what's going on really kind of made a fool of us on national TV here not too long ago," he said. "So, I would just say I'm against it right now, just because I don't think it really sounds like anybody really understands it."
District 1 Councilwoman Christine Nagle said the ordinance "represents a compromise, between members of the community and the council."
"The revised ordinance, at least before tonight I believe, was easier for residents to understand, while maintaining the character of our neighborhoods."
City Council airs grievances with county-proposed Purple Line sector plan
Shreya Vuttaluru
City of College Park inaugurates council with two new members
Grace Yarrow


Jase was having some casual dinner conversation about his itchy foot (as you do) when he revealed that he doesn't really wash his own feet.
And he's never thought he needed to do it because they're already being "washed".
Not sure if Jase's technique counts as "washing".... but you be the judge.


Bad Escape was founded in 2013 by former members of Equal=Librium, Disassembled, and Born From Ashes to bring a new breed of heavy blues/rock to you. Enjoy!
Singer/guitarist who could be Ted Nugent's son, drummer named Texas who'd pass for Henry Rollins' skinny kid brother and Prince Hal on bass—this trio rocks the hell out of East Coast stages, embracing booze and profanity along the way.
Barclay & Ichinose is an Italian duo inspired by '60 pop/'70 rock, emo punk, and post-rock. Their first e.p. is Barclay & Ichinose I, released in 2013 by BlueHandVein Records.
Sticking the mere label of "multi-talented" on Patterson Barrett is a gross understatement. He is a singer/songwriter who plays pedal steel, dobro, guitar, accordion, piano, and just about any other instrument set before him. He has recorded with Jerry Jeff Walker, produced Hal Ketchum, and performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry to Nancy Griffith.
♫ La Mejor Banda del Mundo ♫ ¡¡¡Blood, Shame & Rock N Roll!!!
Bastards of Melody have been proudly carrying the power pop torch since forming in 1998. The New York City band has adhered to a simple formula: impossibly catchy songs with great melodies and interesting arrangements. Comparisons to classic power pop bands such as Big Star, Cheap Trick or the Raspberries seem apt. Add to that the modern punch of bands such as Superdrag, The Figgs, and Sloan.
After many years writing and performing together in several NYC bands, Howie Lam (vocals/guitar) and Bill Kovalcik (drums) joined with guitarist Keith Ehrlich and formed Bastion in the summer of 2002. The following year saw the addition of Frederick Macaraeg (of The Ankles) on bass and Alex Dziena (of Haujobb) on keyboards.
Matt Drenik of the Austin, Texas band Lions moved to Portland, Oregon and started his latest band, Battleme. Their self-titled debut album is on Trashy Moped Recordings, a label run by Ghostland Observatory's Thomas Turner.
New Braunfels based Beans N Rice is a classic rock and blues influenced foursome who blend their music into a concoction not unlike their name: spicy, comfortable, familiar, and real real good.
I'm just another rapper in the crowd.
Nokio the *N-TITY* is a producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Nokio is best known as one of the founders of the multi-platinum R&B group Dru Hill where he served as in-house producer and songwriter for the quartet. Nokio's resume includes producing music for Elton John, Noreaga, Foxy Brown, DMX and more.
Dario Black's music is rooted in pop, electronica and anchored in Latin grooves with a refreshing vibe that's giving way to this rising act in the U.S. and beyond.
During the 1960s and 1970s Reid wrote and produced artists including Betty Wright, Sam & Dave, Gwen McCrae, Jimmy "Bo" Horne, Bobby Byrd, and KC & the Sunshine Band. He also recorded many of his own songs during this period, including "Nobody But You Babe".
Blusyde was established in March 1997.They began in the New York area playing selections from their first single,"Overthere", and developed a consistent NY following while performing in such venues as Joe's Pub, the Iridium,Soul Cafe, Downtime, Baggot Inn, S.O.B.'s, Jimmy's Uptown, CBGB's, Nell's, Groove,South Street Seaport "Summer Stage", and the Elbow Room.
Originally gaining notoriety as "DJ Excel," Bmore Original rebranded himself in 2014 after having operated a label under that name since 2004. This move separated him from a glut of other DJs using "Excel" but also more accurately represented what Bmore Original was all about: both a proud DJ from the 410 of Baltimore, and a true original among his peers. He's a member of the Bum Squad DJz Worldwide Family and has been featured in numerous magazines, blogs, fanzines, and more.
A half-dozen guys who constantly throw all out unmistakably Asbury Park-style rock 'n' roll parties on stages up and down the East Coast.
"A melting pot of rock, pop and world music." Since 1997 Boheme has been creating a mood and stirring minds with its unique combination of styles. The music has been described as psychedelic, dark, ethnic, and most commonly dynamic.
Gael Boom is an angel-voiced R&B vocalist from Dallas, Texas whose videos have garnered tens of thousands of views on YouTube. His performing strength lies in his smooth, mid-range vocal tone that effortlessly weaves its way through melodies. Singing is not the limit of Gael Boom's talent, however. He acts, choreographs, dances, produces, and plays a myriad of instruments including piano and drums.
Kerrville New Folk Award Winner Jimmy Ray Harrell and Austin Music Award winner Todd Jagger are The Border Blasters! Veterans of the Austin music scene, Jimmy Ray and Todd have been making music together since their first gig at Gruene Hall in 1975. The Border Blasters's sound is a melting-pot of blues, real country, western swing, bluegrass, folk - all sewn together with tight blending harmonies and raw musicianship. Their music connects with people of all ages.
Brave Song Circle is Dustin Morris and Lauren Gale being multi-instrumental and spreading love through music. Their harmonies are full, their instruments are plentiful, and their spirits are alive with the power of love.
Roots-folk music brought to life through strings-and-accordion-based live arrangements. Also, per his current official bio, "formerly a staff reporter and sportswriter at The New York Times, Michael Brick lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and children."
Scottish and Irish folk songs combined with the Lord of the Rings music and a wee bit o' Celtic fun. The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brob-din-nahg-EE-en) are The Original Celtic Renaissance music duo from Austin, Texas. Their unique brand of folk music on the autoharp, recorder, and mandolin has made them one of the most-popular Celtic music groups online where they give away thousands of free Celtic MP3 downloads daily.
Arron Brown is a solo artist from the United Kingdom. Arron's sound is acoustic/pop electronic with vocals that come from the heart.
When is the last time you heard a chick play electric guitar like this? Yet Carol manages to reconcile her technical proficiency with a healthy dose of pop sensibility; her experiences in symphonic band, percussion ensemble, and even show choir have given her an ear for song that is rare these days.
Helping you remember when you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire. Burn Ban is: Brett Hanrahan, drums/vox; WillImNot, vox/guitar; Alejandro, bass/vox.
Jeb Bush started rhyming at age 13, quickly learning to focus his lyrical ingenuity and cultivate his talent, and by 2002 he began seriously writing and recording music. In his youth Jeb Bush was influenced by the music of LL Cool J and Notorious B.I.G., and later became inspired by fresh acts like Eminem, Lil Wayne, and T.I. His work delivers in spades—engaging diverse new school styles, blending quintessential East Coast/NYC elements with Southern fare to produce tight verses and unique tracks.


Mexico, known as a haven of luxury resorts, white sand beaches and warm blue-green waters is place of relaxation and escape. However, Mexico is more than a playground for tourists; it is a diverse country with a fascinating and complex history. Before traveling to Mexico and spending time there it is important to gain a sense of the history that has shaped the politics, economy and culture of the land and people. While planning a trip to Mexico this became an important factor to me. I wanted to gain as much insight into Mexico's past, present and predicted future, but like many busy travelers preparing to leave for a trip, I had limited time. I was fortunate enough to come across "Mexico, An Illustrated History" by Michael Burke. This condensed, yet detailed book was able to provide me with historical information into the indigenous society, conquest by Spain, Mexico's Independence, NAFTA and the relations of present day Mexico and the United States. This quick read helps in understanding how this country began and is developing, whether you plan to relax on a splendid Mexican beach or re-live the past via colonial architecture and indigenous presence in Oaxaca. Reading Michael Burke's book can help you appreciate Mexico even more!
Highly recommended by Beth Klemick, AmeriSpan Unlimited.