Central African Republic by Juan Fandos-Rius

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République Centrafricaine (French) - Koddorosêse tî Bê-Afrîka (Sango)

Centrafrique (French) - Bê-Afrîka (Sango)

Landlocked country. North to Chad, East to The Sudan, West to Cameroon, South to Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

Official languages

French and Sango

Intl./Ntl.
phone calls

+236 (Bangui code) 21 plus former subscriber's 6-figured number (as of 1 November 2007)
+236 (country code) 22 plus former subscriber's 6-figured number (as of 1 November 2007)
mobile & additional information at ART Agence chargée de la Régulation des Telecommunications

Independence from France on 13 August 1960. Central African Republic proclaimed on 1st December 1958 as an autonomous republic inside a large federation, the Communauté. Previously known as Oubangui-Chari (Ubangi-Shari) erected on 29 December 1903.

Presidential Republic - Democracy

Head of State, François Bozizé (sworn in on 11 June 2005 for a 5-year term); Head of Government, Faustin-Archange Touadéra (appointed on 22 January 2008). The Head of State is styled Président de la République, and the Head of Government is styled Premier Ministre, Chef du Gouvernement.

Legislative Power

National Assembly Chairman, Célestin Leroy Gaombalet (sworn in on 14 June 2005). The Parliament is a single chamber system and it is named Assemblée Nationale.

President of Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature, François Bozizé (in charge since 15 March 2003). The Vice-President is the Minister of Justice. The Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature is the ruling body for the Central African Republic Judiciary.

Four equal horizontal stripes of blue cobalt, white, dark viridian green and yellow with a vertical red stripe through the center and a five-pointed gold star on the upper hoist side of the flag (adopted on 1st December 1958) (see also my article on the Central African Republic Flag--pdf).

The coat of arms consists of a shield in the center flanked with two flags on its edges pending on two spears with a rising sun on top of the shield. Inside the rising sun the date of the proclamation of the Republic –1er Décembre 1958—is shown. Below and above the shield there are two banners. The upper banner bears the national motto and the lower banner bears a second motto, both by Boganda. The national motto “Zo Kwe Zo” means “tout homme est un homme, tout homme en vaut un autre, tous les hommes sont égaux” . And the other states “Unité – Dignité – Travail”. In the bottom of the arms there is a medal between the shield and the lower banner, the medal is the Cross of the Order of the Central African Merit which is the most reputed and the original national decoration created in 1959 . The shield is divided into four equal fields. The upper left field in sinople bears an elephant head in silver reminding that the country held one of the largest herds of elephants in the whole Africa and that it was an important source of income for the national economy in a time when no ban was imposed on hunting. The upper right field in silver shows a tree in sinople. The lower left field in gold bears three four-pointed black stars pierced in its core by a silver botton. And the lower right field in blue shows a black hand pointing to a five-pointed star, this was a symbol of MESAN since the Boganda years and was an official emblem of the party by the time the coat of arms was adopted . In the core of the shield there is a smaller shield in red that bears the map of Africa in black on a silver disk and, over the map, a gold five-pointed star shows the location of the Central African Republic in the continent (originally adopted on 17 May 1963). (see also my article on the Central African Republic Flag--pdf).

La Renaissance - E zîngo, music by Herbert Pepper (1912-2001) and words by Barthélémy Boganda (1910-1959) in 1958, officially adopted on 20 June 1960.

E zîngo
La Renaissance                                                                                      La Renaissance--The Rebirth--

Bêafrîka, dambeso tî âBantu
Ô Centrafrique, ô berceau des Bantou                                 Oh! Central Africa, cradle of the Bantu

Kîri mo gbü gîgî tî mo-mvenî
Reprends ton droit au respect à la vie                                  Take up again your right to respect, to life!

Mo bâa pâsi na gbe tî âzo kwê
Longtemps soumis, longtemps brimé par tous            Long subjugated, long scorned by all,

Me fadësô mo ke na kurru gô
Mais dès ce jour brisant la tyranie                                          But, from today, breaking tyranny's hold.

Mo sö benda mo bûngbi kwê ôko
Dans le travail l'ordre et la dignité                                         Through work, order and dignity

Na kusâra ngâ na nahngo-terê
Tu reconquiers ton droit ton unité                                       You reconquer your rights, your unity

Ti tö ndâ tî finî dutï tî ë sô
Et pour franchir cette étape nouvelle                                  And to take this new step

E mä gbegô tî âkötarä ti ë
De nos ancêtres la voix nous appelle                                    The voice of our ancestors call us.

E gbû kua nzönî na nehngo-terê
Au travail dans l'ordre et la dignité                                        To work! In order and dignity,

E kpë ndya nzönî nâ mahnngo-terê
Dans le respect du droit, dans l'unité                                    in the respect for rights and in unity,

E kinda wasyobê, ë tomba pâsi
Brisant la misère et la tyranie                                                    Breaking poverty and tyranny,

E yâa bandêra tî Koddoro tî ë
Brandissant l'étendard de la Patrie                                        Holding high the flag of the Fatherland.

Official name	République Centrafricaine (French) - Koddorosêse tî Bê-Afrîka (Sango)
Short name	Centrafrique (French) - Bê-Afrîka (Sango)
Area	622 984 Sq Km
Boundaries	Landlocked country. North to Chad, East to The Sudan, West to Cameroon, South to Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Population	*3 895 139 (Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitation, RGPH 2003)*
State Capital	*Bangui - Pop. 622 771 (RGPH 2003)*
Official languages	French and Sango
Currency	Franc CFA
Intl./Ntl. phone calls	+236 (Bangui code) 21 plus former subscriber's 6-figured number (as of 1 November 2007) +236 (country code) 22 plus former subscriber's 6-figured number (as of 1 November 2007) mobile & additional information at ART Agence chargée de la Régulation des Telecommunications
State origin	Independence from France on 13 August 1960. Central African Republic proclaimed on 1st December 1958 as an autonomous republic inside a large federation, the Communauté. Previously known as Oubangui-Chari (Ubangi-Shari) erected on 29 December 1903.
Constitution	Came into force on 27 December 2004
Government type	Presidential Republic - Democracy
Executive Power	Head of State, François Bozizé (sworn in on 11 June 2005 for a 5-year term); Head of Government, Faustin-Archange Touadéra (appointed on 22 January 2008). The Head of State is styled Président de la République, and the Head of Government is styled Premier Ministre, Chef du Gouvernement.
Legislative Power	*National Assembly Chairman, Célestin Leroy Gaombalet (sworn in on 14 June 2005). The Parliament is a single chamber system and it is named Assemblée Nationale.*
Judiciary	President of Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature, François Bozizé (in charge since 15 March 2003). The Vice-President is the Minister of Justice. The Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature is the ruling body for the Central African Republic Judiciary.
Flag	Four equal horizontal stripes of blue cobalt, white, dark viridian green and yellow with a vertical red stripe through the center and a five-pointed gold star on the upper hoist side of the flag (adopted on 1st December 1958) (see also my article on the Central African Republic Flag--pdf).
Coat of Arms	The coat of arms consists of a shield in the center flanked with two flags on its edges pending on two spears with a rising sun on top of the shield. Inside the rising sun the date of the proclamation of the Republic –1er Décembre 1958—is shown. Below and above the shield there are two banners. The upper banner bears the national motto and the lower banner bears a second motto, both by Boganda. The national motto “Zo Kwe Zo” means “tout homme est un homme, tout homme en vaut un autre, tous les hommes sont égaux” . And the other states “Unité – Dignité – Travail”. In the bottom of the arms there is a medal between the shield and the lower banner, the medal is the Cross of the Order of the Central African Merit which is the most reputed and the original national decoration created in 1959 . The shield is divided into four equal fields. The upper left field in sinople bears an elephant head in silver reminding that the country held one of the largest herds of elephants in the whole Africa and that it was an important source of income for the national economy in a time when no ban was imposed on hunting. The upper right field in silver shows a tree in sinople. The lower left field in gold bears three four-pointed black stars pierced in its core by a silver botton. And the lower right field in blue shows a black hand pointing to a five-pointed star, this was a symbol of MESAN since the Boganda years and was an official emblem of the party by the time the coat of arms was adopted . In the core of the shield there is a smaller shield in red that bears the map of Africa in black on a silver disk and, over the map, a gold five-pointed star shows the location of the Central African Republic in the continent (originally adopted on 17 May 1963). *(see also my article on the Central African Republic Flag--pdf)*.
National Anthem	La Renaissance - E zîngo, music by Herbert Pepper (1912-2001) and words by Barthélémy Boganda (1910-1959) in 1958, officially adopted on 20 June 1960. E zîngo La Renaissance La Renaissance--The Rebirth-- Bêafrîka, dambeso tî âBantu Ô Centrafrique, ô berceau des Bantou Oh! Central Africa, cradle of the Bantu Kîri mo gbü gîgî tî mo-mvenî Reprends ton droit au respect à la vie Take up again your right to respect, to life! Mo bâa pâsi na gbe tî âzo kwê Longtemps soumis, longtemps brimé par tous Long subjugated, long scorned by all, Me fadësô mo ke na kurru gô Mais dès ce jour brisant la tyranie But, from today, breaking tyranny's hold. Mo sö benda mo bûngbi kwê ôko Dans le travail l'ordre et la dignité Through work, order and dignity Na kusâra ngâ na nahngo-terê Tu reconquiers ton droit ton unité You reconquer your rights, your unity Ti tö ndâ tî finî dutï tî ë sô Et pour franchir cette étape nouvelle And to take this new step E mä gbegô tî âkötarä ti ë De nos ancêtres la voix nous appelle The voice of our ancestors call us. E gbû kua nzönî na nehngo-terê Au travail dans l'ordre et la dignité To work! In order and dignity, E kpë ndya nzönî nâ mahnngo-terê Dans le respect du droit, dans l'unité in the respect for rights and in unity, E kinda wasyobê, ë tomba pâsi Brisant la misère et la tyranie Breaking poverty and tyranny, E yâa bandêra tî Koddoro tî ë Brandissant l'étendard de la Patrie Holding high the flag of the Fatherland.