The Central African Republic: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in the very heart of Africa, bordered by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the two Congos and Cameroon. Its capital is Bangui, on the Ubangi River, and about 5 million people live there. The country is known for its savannas and rainforests, forest elephants and gorillas, and rivers with powerful waterfalls. Its name simply describes where it is on the map.

On My Earth Toy you can see Boali Falls, where the Mbali River tumbles about 50 metres over a wide rock ledge, northwest of Bangui. In the rainy season the falls are a roaring curtain of white water.

Geography and nature

Most of the country is a high, rolling plateau covered by savanna, with rivers flowing south to the Ubangi and Congo, and north toward Lake Chad. The southwest has dense tropical rainforest. Dzanga-Sangha, part of a forest reserve shared with Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo, is famous for forest clearings where groups of forest elephants gather, and for western lowland gorillas. Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park in the north is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

People, languages and culture

About 80 ethnic groups live in the country. French and Sango are the official languages, and Sango is spoken by almost everyone, which helps people from different groups talk together. Most people are Christian, with a Muslim minority. The BaAka people of the southwestern forests are known for their complex, many-voiced singing, which UNESCO recognises as cultural heritage. Cassava is the main food, often eaten as a thick dough with sauces.

History in a nutshell

The area was once raided for enslaved people by neighbouring states. France colonised it in the late 1800s and called it Ubangi-Shari. The country became independent on 13 August 1960. In 1976 its ruler, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, declared himself emperor and renamed the country the Central African Empire, until he was overthrown in 1979. The Central African Republic has since gone through long periods of unrest and conflict.