Until the early 1800s, the peoples of the CAR lived beyond the expanding Islamic frontier in the Sudanic zone of Africa and thus had relatively little contact with outsiders During the first decades of the nineteenth century, however, Muslim traders began increasingly to penetrate the region of the CAR and to cultivate special relations with local leaders in order to facilitate their trade and settlement in the region The initial arrival of Muslim traders in the early 1800s, was relatively peaceful and depended upon the support of local peoples, but after about 1850, slave traders with well-armed soldiers began to penetrate the region
European penetration of Central African territory began in the late nineteenth century during the so-called Scramble for Africa The French, Belgian and British competed to establish their claims to territory in the Central African region
In 1889 the French established a post on the Ubangi River at Bangui, the future capital of and the CAR and in 1894, the "French Congo's" borders with Belgian Congo Free State, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and German Cameroon were fixed by diplomatic agreements The French named their colony Ubang Shari
On 1 December 1958 the colony of Ubangi-Shari became an autonomous territory and took the name Central African Republic The founding father, Barthélémy Boganda, died in a mysterious plane accident in 1959, just eight days before the last elections of the colonial era On 13 August 1960 the Central African Republic gained its independence and two of Boganda's closest aides became involved in a power struggle David Dacko won and by 1962 had established a one-party state
Since then a series of coups, including a notorious period under a self-declared emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, and periodic violence from rebel groups, have dealt a very bad lot to the citizens of the Central African Republic Today, this remains one of the most lawless, dangerous and unstable nations on earth
The climate is generally tropical The northern areas are subject to harmattan winds, which are hot, dry, and carry dust The northern regions have been subject to desertification, and the northeast is desert The remainder of the country is prone to flooding from nearby rivers
In the November 2008 issue of National Geographic, the Central African Republic was named the country least affected by light pollution
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WARNING: Due to increasing rebel activity, travel here is strongly discouraged The government is extremely volatile and maintains a weak grip on the country Banditry and general lawlessness are major problems outside Bangui |
The main language is French with a dialect called Central African French The form is very understood by the Francophone nation There are a lot of indigenous languages also Whilst French is the official language of Central African Republic, a very small portion of the country knows any more than a few words of it
Sängö also referred to as Sangro or Sangho is the lingua franca and is spoken by most of the people in Central African Republic some 2000 have it as a mother tongue whilst 80% of the country have it as a second language To find out if someone speaks Sängö, simply say Balâo which means Hello, if they respond back with Balâo mïngï then you have found yourself a sango speaker
English is spoken by almost no one, even in the capital
Costs in Central African Republic are exorbitant for foreigners who plan to maintain a lifestyle similar to those in their origin country Much of the commerce and goods must be flown or shipped into the nation, explaining the high costs for many goods "Local" goods that are imported into CAR from regional nations such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon are slightly less expensive rice, beans, water, etc Finally, many of the supermarkets in Bangui and other cities are owned by Lebanese people and families, so there is abundant Middle Eastern food imported into the country, although these products are also very expensive
There is a wide diversity of food in Bangui, including Chinese, Lebanese, French, local food and so forth Food in restaurants owned by foreigners are very expensive and can be $10-$20 US per dish or more Local food, however, may also be expensive depending upon the restaurant and its location There are abundant French bakeries in the downtown area in the centre of Bangui with moderate prices for baked goods as well as meals Food in supermarkets is very expensive, although cheaper food can be purchased at local markets and from sellers in the street
Local beer "33", Mocaf, Crystal and soda MOCAF is a major producer is similarly priced to products in Europe and the United States Wine is available in some French wine shops but can be very expensive Palm wine is common Water is produced in Cameroon and Central African Republic and can be purchased in all of the local supermarkets Imported products such as Coca-Cola and Fanta are also available
Accommodations are ample but tend to be relatively expensive, even on the two smaller islands There are several luxury resorts with all amenities, as well as other less expensive options In addition, the cost of food and drink is high in Cayman, but many visitors stay in condominiums with kitchen facilities and take advantage of the first class supermarkets and cook and barbeque on the beach
Cayman is not known for all inclusive resorts, but there are two smaller Caribbean style properties that do offer this option
The majority of hotels and resorts are in Grand Cayman, where the main hotel "strip" is Seven Mile Beach, home to several major chain hotels and numerous condominiums
Off Seven Mile Beach are several dive resorts and, in the Eastern Districts, numerous private homes and villas, as well as several resorts and attractions for those preferring a more tranquil vacation
Little Cayman focuses on dive vacations and has a unique charm, as well as some of the best diving anywhere
Camping is illegal on all three islands at all times There are no campsites on any of the islands
There are myriad opportunities for working by teaching English or for any of a number of humanitarian or religious organisations in Central African Republic Many of the streets of Bangui are lined with organisations including MSF Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, International Red Cross, European Union, WHO, Institut Pasteur, Catholic Relief Serices, COOPI and many others Most organisations are involved in health and development programmes, although others deal with education, religion, etc Speaking French is essential for somebody who wants to be effectively involved in working with these organisations, as English is rarely spoken, even in Bangui
