Where is the central part of Africa located? Central Africa: regional composition, population and economy

Central Africa is the subregion that occupies the central part of the continent, from the west coast to the East African Rifts in the east. This African region frames the equator, including not only the equatorial stripe, but also the subequatorial one.

This area is truly the “heart” of the continent, as it is very rich, mineral raw materials from here are spread throughout the world - copper, iron ores, uranium. Timber is especially valuable, and some countries produce oil.

In this regard, the countries of central Africa have amazing potential, but it has not yet been revealed, which is largely due to history. During the period of colonization, foreign occupiers cared little about the development of the local economy, so its current level is often low. Only locally are there organized and efficient production, which did not exist in those days.

The entire region occupies a quarter of the entire continental area, however, the population in the countries of central Africa is only a seventh total number inhabitants of the continent.

Within Central Africa The following countries are available in whole or in part:

  • Nigeria;
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire);
  • Cameroon;
  • Central African Republic;
  • Republic of the Congo;
  • Gabon;
  • Equatorial Guinea;
  • Sao Tome and Principe;
  • Angola.

The countries of central Africa became independent in the period from 1950 to 1974 from the following European colonialists:

  • Belgium;
  • Spain;
  • Portugal;
  • France.

The location is positive for further development, since many territories have access to the Atlantic Ocean, through which transport routes leading deep into Africa pass.

All of these states are members of the UN, and Gabon is also a member of OPEC.

Nigeria is the largest in this and its population is the largest on the mainland. Residents belong to various tribes:

  • Yoruba;
  • Hausa;
  • Fulani

There are other ethnic groups, so strife between them periodically occurs, which was the reason for several military coups in independent history.

And yet, economic development did not stop, despite the political situation; this was especially influenced by the presence of oil deposits in these lands.

Tourism also brings great profits, because in the local tropical forests and savannas there are various cultural and historical interesting sites.

Democratic Republic of the Congo is also a large country in central Africa, which has experienced many military clashes on political grounds. It was possible to resume a quiet life here with the help of Europeans who are interested in this state of affairs. And this is due to the presence of diverse and numerous natural resources in Zaire.

St wound Cameroon differs from its neighbors in stability in internal order. The political system works clearly, coordinating and general development territories.

Cameroon, unlike many other African powers, was able to provide its population with food. This became possible as a result of an orientation towards a market economy and support for private property. And yet the local residents are quite poor due to poorly developed industry.

Chad is still an underdeveloped country where the standard of living is low, as well as the economic one. This is mainly due to constant military coups due to clashes between tribes.

Developed powers have great influence on the country, providing assistance and protection. The development of the oil discovered here ten years ago is considered a particularly profitable investment. There are also other resources exported abroad.

IN CAR There are rare natural resources that are valued in the world:

  • diamonds;
  • gold;
  • Uranus;
  • oil;
  • forests.

Yet the population in the central African country of Central Africa is quite poor, since the level of the economy here remains one of the lowest in the world. Many goods are imported, including food.

Republic of the Congo was able to seriously develop the economy, this became possible thanks to the presence of numerous natural resources, in particular, oil exports made it possible to achieve a fairly high standard of living for local residents.

The modern political system is oriented towards democracy, and the economy is actively and uses a market model.

The remaining countries are small in size. Gabon stands out among them, because it has a very high level of GDP, therefore it is one of the richest countries in Africa, and the situation in it is very stable.

Equatorial Guinea is considered the richest on the continent, which happened after the start of active exploitation of oil and gas fields.

Republic of Sao Tome and Principe is an island state, the smallest in Africa after the Seychelles. Those who seek unity with exotic nature love to come here; you can also admire the ancient buildings of the Portuguese colonialists.

Population in Central African countries

The inhabitants of Central Africa are diverse, moreover, their distribution is heterogeneous in various countries. The main ones are:

  • Yoruba;
  • Bantu;
  • athara;
  • Hausa;
  • Oromo.

Basically, the Negroid race predominates here, whose representatives have similar appearance features (dark skin, eyes and hair, very curly, wide lips and nose, etc.).

However, some peoples near the northern borders of the region have European features:

  • kanuri;
  • tuba

There is also a special race in the forests near the equator - the Negril, which includes pygmies who are short in stature and have lighter skin with a yellowish-red tint.

Among the population in the countries of central Africa in the southern regions there are also those belonging to the Khoisan race.

As a result of the colonial period, you can meet Europeans in the subregion, as well as many mestizos, formed after the merging of different races and peoples.

Equatorial or Central Africa mostly extends along the bed of the Congo - the territory of the subcontinent includes the huge valley of this river, as well as several large hills in the north and south. The western part is the Atlantic coast, and the opposite border coincides with the line of the East African continental fault.

Among the nine states of this macroregion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) is considered the largest and most densely populated, and Sao Tome and Principe, located on the volcanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea, closes the list.

Climatic conditions, flora and fauna

The region is located in the equatorial and subequatorial zones, and has a consistently hot and humid climate. Large amounts of precipitation are brought by air currents from the Atlantic; heavy rainfall regularly feeds the extensive river system. The Congo Valley is dominated by tropical forests, with wetlands and mangroves.

Closer to the outer borders of the region are savannas, where it finds refuge great amount large mammals - both herbivores and predators. Local conditions are not very suitable for human life, so the countries of Central Africa are extremely unevenly populated.

History and current stage of development

Colonization of the region began in the 16th century, but initially affected only the coastal areas. Despite the abundance of mineral resources (diamonds, iron ore, oil, copper, tin), Central Africa was developed very slowly due to the high mortality rate of European settlers. In addition, local tribes actively fought against the invaders. The conquest of the Central African Republic was completed only in 1903, with half of the indigenous population killed in a number of areas.

Your independence Central African countries achieved in the 70s of the XX century, but most of them are still strongly influenced by the former metropolises. The standard of living, including medicine and healthcare, is extremely low. The implementation of economic reforms is hampered by political instability in the region, frequent civil wars and border conflicts.

The bulk of revenues coming to the state budget comes from raw materials exports, although Lately Many countries have begun construction or modernization of processing plants. In addition to minerals, the world market supplies valuable timber, rubber, cotton, fruits (primarily bananas), peanuts, cocoa beans and coffee.

List of Central African countries

Africa is a part of the world, occupying a fifth of the landmass on planet Earth. There are a total of 60 states in Africa, but only 55 of them are generally recognized, the remaining 5 are self-proclaimed. Each state belongs to one or another region. Traditionally, Africa is divided into five subregions: four according to the cardinal directions (eastern, southern, western, northern) and one central.

Central Africa

The Central African region covers a continental area of ​​7.3 million square meters. km in an area rich in natural gifts. Geographically, the countries of Central Africa are separated from the rest of the subregions by the East African Continental Rift to the east; the watershed between the Congo rivers - Kwanza and - Kubangu - from the south. The west of the region is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea; the northern border of the region coincides with state border Republic of Chad. The countries of Central Africa are located in the equatorial and subequatorial regions, which are humid and hot.

The most rich water resources region: the high-water Congo River, small rivers Ogowe, Sanaga, Kwanza, Kwilu and others. Vegetation consists of dense forests in the center of the region and small strips of savannas in the north and south.

The Central African region includes nine countries: Congo, Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon. Interestingly, two states with the same name have different shapes government system. Sao Tome and Principe is located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Cameroon, whose coordinates are close to the West African region, is sometimes classified as a West African country.

The uniqueness of Central Africa

Active European penetration into the territory of tropical Central Africa began in the 18th century, when the desire of Europeans to own new territories was especially great. The study of equatorial Africa was facilitated by the discovery of the mouth of the Congo River, along which shipping trips were made deep into the continent. Information about the ancient peoples who inhabited the places where they are located modern countries Central Africa, very few. Their descendants are known - the Hausa, Yoruba, Athara, Bantu, and Oromo peoples. The predominant indigenous race of this territory is Negroid. In the tropics of the Uele and Congo basins there lives a special race - the pygmies.

Brief descriptions of some states

The Central African Republic is a country located in territory that was long unknown to Europeans due to its location inland. Deciphering ancient Egyptian inscriptions indicates the existence of small people, presumably pygmies, in this territory. The land of the Central African Republic remembers the times of slavery, which ended only in the middle of the 20th century. Now it is a republic with more than five million people. The country is home to several large national parks, home to giraffes, hippos, forest elephants, ostriches, several hundred species of birds and other animals.

The largest country in Africa is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The population of Congo is about 77 million people. It is also one of the richest states in terms of natural reserves. The countryside of the Republic is so vast that it constitutes about 6% of the world's rainforests.

The People's Republic of the Congo is located in western Africa, washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Coastline is approximately 170 km. A significant part of the territory is occupied by the Congo Basin, a swampy area. The toponym "Congo" (which means "hunters") is very common on the African continent: the two states of Congo, the Congo River, the Congo people and language, and other lesser-known points on the map of Africa are named so.

Country with interesting history- Angola, for many centuries, sent ships with slaves to South America. Modern Angola is major exporter fruits, sugar cane, coffee.

The territory of Cameroon has an exceptional topography: almost the entire country is located on the highlands. Here is Cameroon - active volcano and the highest point in the country.

Far from being the largest, it is one of the most developed and richest states in Africa. The country's nature - lagoons and estuaries - is beautiful and poetic.

Most northern country Central Africa is Chad. The nature of this state is very different from that of other Central African countries. There are no forests here; on the plains of the country there are sandy deserts and savannas.

The subcontinent of Central Africa includes two physiographic countries - the North Guinea region and the Congo Basin, which have a number of similar climate features. It is located in the middle of the mainland, washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic. In the north, the subcontinent is bordered by the plains of Sudan, in the east by the East African Highlands, and in the south by South Africa. The border runs along the mountains and plateaus surrounding the Congo Basin, and along the hills and plateaus of the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, where the dry season becomes very short (no more than 1-2 months).

The region is distinguished by a hot, constantly humid climate of the equatorial type, which forms over most of its territory, a dense network of deep rivers and the predominance of tropical forests in the vegetation cover. The dominance of constantly humid climates is explained both by circulation conditions and by the characteristics of the underlying surface.

The subcontinent is located entirely within the ancient African platform, with a more or less stable tectonic regime, but one of the faults starting at the bottom crosses the Bight of Biafra and reaches the mainland in the Cameroon volcanic massif, then continuing to the northeast. There is a series here. The zone of subsidence along the faults is called the Benue graben.

Central Africa has the richest forest resources and is well supplied. There are areas in the region where virgin forests still remain, but in large areas natural landscapes have experienced significant anthropogenic impact, especially as a result of irrational use of resources. Along the edges of the subcontinent, tropical forests have in many cases given way to savannas. Despite the significant similarity of natural conditions within the entire subcontinent, the physical and geographical countries that make up it have a number of features.

Northern Guinea region

This physical-geographical country occupies the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. In the north, the border with Sudan is climatic. To the north of it, in conditions typical of the subequatorial belt, savannas dominate; to the south (within the region under consideration), there is practically no dry season and humid equatorial forests are widespread. In the southeast, the border with the Congo Basin runs along the eastern foot of the Adamawa Mountains. On the territory of the region, the states of West Africa are located entirely or include parts of them - from Guinea to the north-west of Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

The formation of natural features is greatly influenced by air flows from the Gulf of Guinea. They flow from the northern periphery of the South Atlantic High as southeast trade winds, cross the equator and are directed towards the equatorial depression, which over the warm Gulf of Guinea maintains its position throughout the year, as it is maintained by the moistly unstable state of the atmosphere. The equatorial temperature dominates here all year round.

At the base of the North Guinea Upland lie ancient rocks of the Precambrian basement (mainly quartzite-gneisses), on top in places covered by Paleozoic sandstones and shales. Only a narrow strip of coastal lowland - a zone of subsidence - is composed of Quaternary sea sands on the surface.

The region is a system of plains and plateaus of different altitudes, stratal in the west, denudation in the east, strongly dissected in places.

Within the North Guinea Highlands, altitudes ranging from 200 to 1000 meters predominate. On the Futa Djallon plateau and the Leono-Liberian Upland in the west and the Joye plateau in the east, individual massifs reach 1400-1900 meters, and in the Adamawa Mountains - over 2000 meters. To the south, the hills and plateaus descend in steps to the coastal accumulative lowland. In the Adamawa Mountains along the fault line there are lava sheets, extinct and active Cameroon volcanic massif with the summit of Fako (4070 meters).

The region is characterized by a hot, constantly humid climate.

Average monthly temperatures are 25-26°C, annual precipitation is 1500-4000 mm and up to 10,000 mm on the Cameroon massif (Debundja station). In winter there is less precipitation than in summer, as the north-east monsoon from the Sahara sometimes penetrates here. This air flows over the equatorial air, and an inversion layer is formed, preventing convection.

Most rivers drain from the North Guinea Highlands. They are deep, short and rapids. The rivers carry alluvium to the coastal lowland. A lagoon-estuary type of coast with spits and dunes is formed here.

The largest river in the region, the Niger, originates on the Leon-Liberian Upland near the ocean, flows northeast, forms an internal delta within Sudan, then turns southeast, cuts through the North Guinea Upland and flows into the Gulf of Guinea, forming a vast delta . This unusual configuration of the valley is due to the fact that initially the upper course was an independent river flowing into a closed lake. Then the deep river, which now represents the lower reaches of the Niger (the Cowarra River - as the locals call it), intercepted the rivers of the Lake Chad basin, drained the lake, and modern Niger was formed (“a river in the country of black people”). There are two floods in the flow regime of the lower reaches of this river. The first is associated with the summer maximum precipitation. At this time, the former basin of the lake in the area of ​​the internal delta is filled with water. Then the flow into the lower Niger begins from this reservoir. This flood coincides with a time of decreased rainfall in the region. used for irrigation, local navigation, water supply, commercial fishing (according to some sources, up to 20 thousand tons of fish are caught here per year). A number of reservoirs have been created, the largest on the river. Volta (area - 8840 km 2, water volume - 148 km 3).

Soil and vegetation cover varies depending on moisture.

The low-lying shores are occupied by mangroves. The abundantly moist coastal areas and upland and mountain slopes are covered with equatorial rainforests, the best preserved in Liberia, where about 1/3 of the country's area is covered by forests. They contain more than 600 tree species, many vines and epiphytes, including the epiphytic cactus - the only plant from this family typical of America. Forests penetrate into the northern regions along river valleys; in watershed areas, as the duration of the dry season increases, they are replaced by open forests and typical savannas on red-brown and red soils with the dominance of baobabs, acacias, and along the border with forests - oil palm, and kigelia (sausage tree). It is possible that the savannas here are of anthropogenic origin. Almost everywhere forests can grow in their place; they are restored after destruction, but in a slightly different form: secondary forests are denser, shorter and have poorer species.

The forests are home to numerous monkeys (including chimpanzees), elephants, pigs, mermaids, and servals (felines). In open spaces animal world common in savannahs.

The region has significant forest resources. 35 species with valuable wood are harvested. In addition, in the forests there is a cola tree, the fruits of which contain a tonic substance - theobromine, wine palm, oil palm - the main source of fat for the local population, etc. Oil palm has long been cultivated as one of the main agricultural crops of the region. In favorable agroclimatic conditions, cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples, sugar cane are grown, and rice is grown in the Niger Delta.

The region has significant mineral reserves - gold, diamonds, tin ores, bauxite. All of them are associated with crystalline basement rocks and ancient weathering crusts.

The nature of the region has been greatly modified by man. Slash-and-burn agriculture and deforestation for plantations of tropical crops have led to the degradation of vegetation cover. In Sierra Leone, only 4% of forested areas remain, mainly in the mountains and in reserves. The species composition of vegetation and fauna is depleted. Soils are degrading. Primitive processing acts on their structure. Ferrous shells - cuirasses - are often formed, which generally makes such areas unsuitable for agriculture. This process is especially typical in the western part of the region, where the destruction of wood for fuel has led to soil erosion reaching disaster proportions.

The area of ​​protected areas in the region is relatively small (for example, compared to East Africa) and unevenly distributed. In some countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon) a more or less dense network of national parks and reserves has been created, while in a number of countries (Benin, Guinea) there are no protected areas.

Congo Basin

The physiographic country is located in the center of the continent on both sides of the equator within the Congo Basin with its surrounding uplifts. The borders (with Sudan in the north, the East African Highlands in the east, and the plateaus and plateaus of South Africa in the south) run mainly along the watersheds of the Congo river system. In the west, the region faces the Atlantic Ocean. Its territory includes such Central African countries as Zaire, Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, most of the Central African Republic (CAR), southern Cameroon and northern Angola. Common to the region are tectonic structure(it occupies one of the vast inland depressions of the African continent) and climatic conditions: during the whole or most of the year, equatorial conditions prevail here, and hot and humid weather prevails.

The basin has a stepped relief.

Its bottom is located at altitudes of approximately 300-500 meters, and two levels can be traced: the lower surface, composed of alluvial sands, barely rises above the river edge, the upper (80-100 meters high, with sand and pebble deposits) rises above the lower, forming a noticeable ledge with a series of low waterfalls (10-15 meters). The side of the basin rises in steps in the north to the crystalline plateau of Azande (800-1000 meters), in the south - to the sandstone plateaus of Lunda and Katanga (Shaba) with a height of 1300-1600 meters. The eastern side is steep, above it rise the crystalline Mitumba ridges (1800-3300 meters), bordering the Western Rift Zone. In the west, the basin is limited by the South Guinea Upland - a strongly dissected protrusion of the Precambrian basement, which abruptly ends in a narrow coastal lowland. The Congo River, having cut through the hill, forms a series of waterfalls and rapids with a total drop of 320 meters.

The region is hot with even temperatures (25-26°C) and plenty of precipitation. Only in the north and south in the winter of the corresponding hemisphere is there a short dry season associated with the winter monsoon (trade wind).

The region has a dense network of rivers. The main river of the Congo Basin (Zaire) crosses the equator twice.

This second largest river in the world carries a quarter of Africa’s total flow into the ocean, but is distinguished by a small amount of suspended sediment (68 million tons, while the Amazon has 1 billion tons), since the bulk of alluvium is deposited on the bottom of its basin . The large forest cover of the basin and weak slopes at the very mouth of the river also play a role. The river system includes several lakes, the largest of which are the remains of the ancient Lake Busira, which occupied significant part bottom of the basin. Flowing down the stepped sides of the basin and breaking through its elevated western edge, the Congo forms cascades of waterfalls. Within central plains The Congo, as a typical equatorial river, is similar to the Amazon. The river system has a fan-shaped structure. Large tributaries (Ubanga-Uele, Sanga, etc. - from the north, Kasai, Lomami, Kwanga, etc. - from the south) collect water from the sides of the basin. The flow maxima of the rivers of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres alternate, and therefore water flows in the main river fluctuate within insignificant limits.

Almost the entire space of the region is occupied by humid equatorial forests along the bottom of the basin and variable wet forests along the northern and southern sides.

The dominant species here are ficus, legume and palm, mulberry, sterculiaceae, euphorbiaceae, orchids and ficus among the lianas, epiphytes are represented mainly by ferns. On the slopes of hills, on landslides, hyleas often form a “drunken forest.” Along the outskirts, humid equatorial forests give way to seasonally wet forests combined with tall grass savannas. The forests are generally secondary and are characterized by muzang and oil palm. In the waterlogged areas of the bottom of the basin, low-growing sparse hylaea grow that can withstand periodic flooding (such as the Igapo of the Amazon). The trees in them have stilted roots. Hydromorphic soils form under them. In most of the territory, red-yellow ferralitic soils are common under forests and red ones under savannas.

The primary hylaea preserved in the depths of the basin are inhabited by typical representatives of the African forest fauna.

Here you can find chimpanzees and gorillas, a relative of giraffes - okapi, elephants, hippos, including dwarf ones. There are many birds, amphibians, and a giant frog - goliath (body length up to 40 cm). As elsewhere in tropical forests, there is a large variety of insects. There is a tsetse fly - a carrier of a number of serious diseases that are dangerous to people and domestic animals.

Equatorial forests are one of the main resources of the region, a source of various raw materials: wood, tannins and medicinal substances, rosin, edible and technical oils, fiber, spices. Forests have not yet been sufficiently studied; their potential is enormous. For local residents, the forest is a source of life. He provides food, drinking water, shelter. Known tribes of forest people - pygmies, all life and biological features which are associated with the forest.

The region has large water resources. The Congo River and its tributaries are of transport importance in the areas between waterfalls and rapids.

The Congo Basin contains a variety of mineral resources. The subsoil is still poorly studied, but deposits of gold, diamonds, etc. are already known. Deposits of copper, manganese, tin, and cobalt ores are associated with outcrops of the crystalline basement along the outskirts of the region.

The region is unevenly populated. There are areas where there are practically no people. However, anthropogenic pressure on the forests of the Congo Basin is increasing. To save them as an object having important role in the general zonal structure of the planet, it is necessary to solve a number of geographical and environmental problems:

— sharply reduce the influence of people on it, primarily forest cutting;

— increase funding for studying the specific features of gils;

— increase the public sector's ownership of forests;

— increase the training of certified specialists, since there is a very serious shortage of personnel;

— increase the number of protected areas.

Currently, a number of national parks and reserves have been created. The most famous are Wonga Wong in Gabon, Maika and Salonga in Zaire and Odzala in the Congo. There are also several reserves.

Central Africa is one of the regions Africa , located in the equatorial and subequatorial zone. It covers the wide valley of the Congo River, in the western part it adjoins the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea, in the north it includes the Azande plateau, in the south - the Lunda plateau and the adjacent plateaus of Angola. The eastern border of Central Africa is the East African Rift System.

The basis of the relief of Central Africa is the vast flat depression of the Congo River, which occupies the entire center of the region. To the north, the Congo Basin is surrounded by the Banda Rise and the South Guinea Rise, to the west by the Lunda-Katanga, and to the south by the Angola Plateau. By by and large The relief of Central Africa is calm, without any sharp fluctuations in altitude. The exception is the northwestern outskirts of the region, where fragmented and rugged terrain predominates; it is there, at the site of a large tectonic fault, that the highest (4070 m) active volcano in the world, Cameroon, is located.

The climate in the countries of Central Africa is equatorial and subequatorial. It's quite hot and humid here. The formation of such a humid climate in the region is due to air masses Atlantic Ocean. The air temperature is always high throughout the year; the only cool places are the hills. Average temperatures in the Congo River valley in the warmest month vary from +25 to +28 degrees, and in the coldest from +23 to +25 0 C. winter time the temperature sometimes drops to +15 0 C. Central Africa is one of the few regions of the continent where a decent amount of precipitation falls per year: in the equatorial zone it averages 1500-2000 mm or more, in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Guinea - up to 3000 mm , and in some places even more. It is in Central Africa that the most damp place mainland - the slopes of the Cameroon volcano

The main form of government is a republic

Dualistic Monarchy

Vital level centrally- African population remained one of the lowest in Africa.

In Central Africa, the most numerous peoples are: Yoruba, Oromo, Athara, Hausa, Bantu. In rural areas, where approximately 56% of the population lives - official language countries - French - is poorly understood. Most people speak Sango, the language of a small group of the Ubangi people who live on the Ubangi River. But every nation also has its own language.

Particularly in the north and northeast of the country, Arabic and Hausa can be heard. From the north came the Muslim faith, which is practiced by approximately 15% of the population. Christian churches do a lot of missionary work in the country, so that currently approximately 50% of the population professes Christianity.

The capital Bangui is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of the Central African Republic. Most of The population adheres to animistic religions, according to which fertility and burial rituals are observed, as well as totem cults of ancestors.

There are also oil resources that have been discovered in the coastal zones of Angola. Such deposits are significant, estimated at 10 million tons per year for each country. There are also sources of natural gas.

Significant reserves in central Africa and mineral raw materials:

metal ores;

copper ores;

manganese;

Zaire is home to an area that supplies 70% of all industrial diamonds worldwide.

Agriculture gives 55% of GDP. In the north of the country, sorghum (42.8 thousand tons) and millet are grown, in the south - corn (110 thousand tons), cassava (563 thousand tons), yams (350 thousand tons) and rice (29.7 thousand . T). Bananas and coffee are grown. The main commercial crops are cotton and coffee. They cultivate cassava, millet, sorghum, rice, and peanuts. Hevea collection. Harvesting valuable wood. Animal husbandry. River fishing.

Industry in the Central African Republic is engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials. There are oil mills, sawmills, cotton gins, etc. Diamonds are mined in the north, but their reserves are being depleted. There are small gold mines in the southern regions.

Industry provides 20% of GDP. Diamond and gold mining is underway, but gold production is declining. There is a uranium ore deposit near Bakuma, but it is not being developed. The manufacturing industry is mainly represented by food and light industry enterprises - production of food, beer, clothing, building materials. Electricity production 102 million kWh (1995).

The republic with its rich fauna and colorful folklore national park Janga-Sanga, where you can meet the pygmies and trust guides from among them who know the habits of wild animals well, can offer places to stay and opportunities for ecotourism. Outside the reserves, big game hunters, who outnumber ecotourists, are offered safaris for wild animals that are not protected by law.

The colonialists left the Central African countries a legacy of a backward economy; only Zaire and Zambia had non-ferrous metallurgy. Behind last years independence was created here full cycle industries, from ore mining to smelting high-quality metals. The harvesting of tropical timber (Gabon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea) is also of great export importance. Agriculture specializes in the cultivation of coffee and cocoa, pyrethrum, tea, tobacco and rubber, cotton and peanuts, bananas and fruits.