- Bangui; 698,000 - 622,984 square kilometers (240,535 square
miles) - French, Sangho, Arabic, tribal languages - Indigenous
beliefs, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim - CFA franc - Life
Expectancy: - GDP per Capita: - U.S. $1,200 - Literacy Percent:
Central African Republic Facts Flag Deep in the heart of the
continent, the Central African Republic was part of French
Equatorial Africa before independence in 1960. Most of the
country is savanna plateau, with rain forests in the south. The
economy, moribund by 1979 when self-proclaimed Emperor Bokassa's
14-year reign of terror ended, remains in poor condition. It is
one of the world's least developed countries, with most of the
population engaged in subsistence farming. Timber and uncut
diamonds are sources of export revenue. Political instability
continued with a coup and rebellions in 2003. - Industry:
Diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles - Agriculture:
Cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca); timber - Exports:
Diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, toba