Middle Africa
Wild · Vast · Forgotten
Central African Republic is a country located in Middle Africa. Its capital city is Bangui, with other major cities including Bimbo and Berbérati. With a population of approximately 5.5M, the main languages spoken are French, Sango. The country covers an area of 622,984 km². The official currency is the Central African CFA franc (Fr). Traffic drives on the right side.
The CAR contains one of Africa's largest remaining rainforests and the Dzanga-Sangha reserve, home to forest elephants and western lowland gorillas, as well as a unique salt-lick where dozens of elephants gather daily.
Bangui serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Central African Republic, positioned in Middle Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Bimbo, Berbérati — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Bangui sits on the north bank of the Ubangi River, which forms the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo — a small capital city with low-rise buildings and red laterite streets that has experienced multiple coups, repeated civil conflict, and a humanitarian crisis that has displaced over a third of the country's population in the past decade.
With a population of approximately 5.5M, Central African Republic is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are French, Sango, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Central African Republic is reached via the dialling code +236. The Central African Republic's 80 ethnic groups speaking 68 languages operate under the Sango lingua franca — a language that emerged from 19th century ivory and slave trade routes and now serves as the de facto national language unifying a country where French is official but Sango is universal, giving the CAR a rare African example of an indigenous language achieving genuine national reach.
Central African Republic spans 622,984 km², in the Middle Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 7.0°N, 21.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Central African CFA franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Central African Republic's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Central African Republic's national identity. Football is the primary sport, but Central African traditional wrestling — sango wrestling — maintains deep community roots in village festivals where the champion earns both social prestige and material prizes, a tradition that coexists with the basketball courts built by international NGOs in Bangui's neighbourhoods as part of social cohesion programmes.
The highest point in Central African Republic is Mont Ngaoui, rising to 1,420 metres above sea level. Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in the CAR's southwestern corner protects the densest remaining population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas in Central Africa — accessible via specialist safari operations, the Dzanga Bai clearing where up to 200 forest elephants gather simultaneously to access mineral-rich mud is described by naturalists as Africa's most extraordinary wildlife spectacle.