teen percent of the people are Muslim was transitional at fi rst and then he and 35 percent practice animism exclu- was elected president in 2005 and re- sively. elected in 2011, but observers saw the Political instability since its 1960 2011 elections as fraudulent. independence has undermined the Bozize’s government has faced for- CAR’s economy, leaving it one of the midable challenges with security and poorest countries in the world. While stability. His government does not it enjoys signifi cant natural resources, completely control the CAR’s rural including diamonds, uranium, gold, areas where much of the population timber, crude oil and hydropower po- resides. Those areas, which remain CENTRAL AFRICAN tential, much of the money from those lawless in many respects, have made REPUBLIC: ANOTHER resources is lost to corruption. Inter- it easy for militant groups such as the national income from the diamond Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and FAILED STATE? industry is extremely important to the others to promulgate there. overall economy—perhaps represent- The most recent rebel group to bring Last December, rebels in the Cen- ing 40 to 55 percent of export revenues. unrest to the Central African Republic tral African Republic seized six differ- Estimates show, though, that between is called Seleka, which translates as ent towns in the landlocked country, 30 and 50 percent of the diamonds “alliance,” in the local Sango language. prompting neighboring countries to leave the country illegally. Seleka, composed of three different send in troops to help end rebel groups from the north of the the confl ict. The latest re- Central African Republic country, accuse President Bozize bellion is just another add- NIGER 0 300 mi of not honoring a deal made in ed to the country’s long list 0 300 km 2007 that would release political © 2013 of coups and periods of un- CHAD prisoners and pay fi ghters who rest since its independence NIGERIA SUDAN disarmed. from France in 1960. As instability occurs across The Central African Re- Birao North Africa in Sudan, Nigeria public (CAR) lies north of and Chad, the CAR’s forests and Democratic Republic of CENTRAL SOUTH resources provide cross-border Congo and the Republic of Bozoum AFRICAN Yalinga SUDAN cover and wealth to rebel groups REPUBLIC Congo, east of Cameroon, Obo and mercenaries. The poor, un- south of Chad and west of CAMEROON Bangui educated and rural nature of the Sudan and South Sudan. majority of the population lends With an area of 240,519 itself to dominance by those in- square miles (622,984 sq. DEMOCRATIC surgent groups with illegal weap- REPUBLIC INDIAN km), the country is slightly CONGO OF THE CONGO ATLANTIC OCEAN ons. Seleka’s poorly trained and smaller than Texas. GABON OCEAN funded government troops are The CAR’s climate is unable to maintain control, leav- tropical and wet and its to- Geography in the News 2/1/13 M. Shears ing the countryside littered with pography consists of vast ethnic alliances, some with the fl at to rolling plateaus and scattered The CAR’s landlocked position, poor government and others with rebel hills in the northeast and southwest. transportation network, mostly un- groups. The country has virgin rainforest and skilled work force and years of failed Described by many analysts as a some of the highest densities of forest macroeconomic policies have ham- “failed state in permanent crisis,” the elephants and lowland gorillas in Af- pered economic development. Central African Republic represents rica. A third of the Republic is drained The French, who colonized the coun- just one more African country facing by the Chari River, fl owing northward try, calling it Ubangi-Shari, established unrest in the past year. Such failed into Lake Chad, while two-thirds is an outpost at Bangui, the present capi- states remind the world that Africa’s drained by the Ubangi River, fl owing tal, in 1889. After achieving indepen- peace is tenuous and remains elusive south into the Congo. dence in 1960, the CAR suffered three in many of the most corrupt of its Nearly 60 percent of Central African decades of poor governance mostly by countries. Republic’s population of almost fi ve military rulers. In 1993, the country es- And that is Geography in the News™. million resides in rural areas and is tablished civilian rule, however, it only February 1, 2013. #1183. composed of numerous tribal groups. lasted 10 years. Christians comprise 50 percent of its In March 2003, the CAR’s current Co-authors are Neal Lineback, Appalachian population; however, they are strongly president, General François Bozize, State University Professor infl uenced by the traditional animistic led a military coup that ousted a civil- Emeritus of Geography, beliefs and practices of the region. Fif- ian government. Bozize’s government and Geographer Mandy Lineback Gritzner. University News Director Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13150040; Jane Nicholson serves as http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20798007; and technical editor. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ct.html