Economy of Central African Republic, Its People, Culture & Flag

The country is made up of ethnic groups like the Baya, Banda, Sara, Mandjia, Mboum, and M'Baka. About 49 percent of the population live in small villages, and follow traditional customs. An estimated 15 percent of the total population follows traditional religions, about 45 percent are Christians and 16 percent are Muslims. French is the official language, but Sango, an African language, is the also widely spoken. Apart from this, other African languages are also spoken.

The flag of Central African Republic is made up of four equal horizontal bands of blue at the top, white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center. A yellow five-pointed star is present on the hoist side of the blue band.

Agriculture forms the main base for economy, while mineral resources are relatively undeveloped. Some 80 percent of the population earns its livelihood by farming, fishing, or working in forestry. Diamonds is one of the most exploited minerals. Deposits of uranium exist, as well as iron ore, gold, lime, zinc, copper, and tin. The principal sources of revenue are diamonds, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and timber exports but export is often hindered by the difficulty of transporting goods to a seaport. The agricultural output is fairly evenly balanced between subsistence and export crops. The national budget in 1991 showed revenues at $175 million and expenditures at $312 million.