Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked nation in the heart of Africa. For anyone starting a comparison or research project, the first step is to anchor the nation in its official statistical foundations, then learn where to find figures that change over time. The stable classification facts are below, along with pointers to the primary data sources and an explanation of why the numbers you see for CAR need careful reading.

Classification and stable identifiers

The Central African Republic is grouped by the United Nations with the following codes and labels. These are statistical tools, not political statements:

• UN M49 code: 140
• ISO alpha-2: CF
• ISO alpha-3: CAF
• UN region: Africa
• UN subregion: Sub-Saharan Africa
• UN member state: Yes
• World Bank capital field: Bangui
• IANA country code top-level domain (ccTLD): .cf

These identifiers come from the UN Statistics Division’s M49 standard, which defines area codes for statistical purposes. M49 codes are classification tools, not political or territorial claims. The World Bank country API is the authoritative source for the World Bank capital field and related administrative data; the capital name there is Bangui. The UN M49 scheme is a statistical geography; it does not adjudicate sovereignty or borders. For political or territorial disputes, consult the UN’s official position and your own government’s foreign ministry.

What the identifiers mean in practice

The UN M49 classification and the World Bank API agree on the basic identifiers, but they serve different purposes. The UN M49 list is for statistical grouping, while the World Bank API provides economic and development indicators keyed to the same nation code. Both sets of identifiers are structural and change rarely. Use them as the fixed backbone of any profile.

Field	Value
UN M49 code	140
ISO alpha-2	CF
ISO alpha-3	CAF
UN region	Africa
UN subregion	Sub-Saharan Africa
UN member state	Yes
World Bank capital field	Bangui
IANA country code top-level domain	.cf

Geography and borders

The Central African Republic is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo to the south, and Cameroon to the west. It has no coastline. It is one of the least densely populated nations in Africa, with much of the populace living in the western and central areas.

How to get current population, capital, and other core facts

Population, life expectancy, literacy, GDP, and similar figures are estimates, not fixed facts. They change with each revision and depend on the source. For the Central African Republic, the World Bank country API returns the official code (CF), region, income level, and capital as registered in World Bank records. For demographic and economic indicators, use the World Bank data portal and always cite the indicator definition and reference year. The UN Population Division provides population estimates and projections; the CIA World Factbook offers a secondary compilation with methodology notes. Do not mix figures from different vintages.

Which sources to check first

Country profiles go out of date quickly. Population figures shift every year; currency codes change rarely but exchange rates change daily; visa rules and travel advisories can change with short notice. Do not treat any single number as current without checking the primary source. The reference year is shown next to each figure. For live data, use these sources:

• Population and development indicators: World Bank country overview
• UN M49 classification and region codes: UN Statistics Division
• Country code and domain authority: IANA
• Travel advice: your own government’s foreign ministry or the IATA Travel Centre
• Health recommendations: WHO country pages and your national health authority

How to cross-check volatile figures

Country statistics change frequently and national sources often disagree. Do not treat a single figure as a fixed truth. For every statistic, note the definition, the source, and the reference year. When you need a current figure, go to the primary source named next to the statistic, not to a search-engine snippet.

• Population, demographics, and development indicators: United Nations and World Bank country profiles. The World Bank API returns current metadata plus indicators for population, GDP, life expectancy, and poverty. Use the API with the country code CF. For the full list, use the World Bank data portal.
• Health and life expectancy: World Health Organization country data.
• Education and culture indicators: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
• Political rights and civil liberties: Freedom House (methodology notes included).
• Corruption perceptions: Transparency International (CPI).
• Human development: UNDP’s Human Development Report.
• Time zone, domain, and code data: IANA (Africa/Bangui; .cf).
• Official travel and entry rules: your own government’s foreign ministry travel advisory, not third-party summaries.

Why the same nation can look different across datasets

The Central African Republic sits in a region where data collection is uneven. Infrastructure constraints, security conditions, and varying survey methodologies mean that agencies often publish figures that diverge. The World Bank, UN Population Division, and CIA World Factbook each use their own definitions, sampling frames, and update cycles. When you compare CAR with another nation, align the indicator definitions and reference years first. A population figure from the UN’s 2022 revision cannot be compared directly with a World Bank figure from 2020 without adjusting for the gap. Check the metadata before you draw a conclusion. The stable identifiers at the top of this guide are the one constant you can rely on across datasets.