Central African Republic

The Central African Republic, a landlocked country in the middle of Africa. The territory has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years. The first inhabitants were the possible ancestors of today's Pygmy peoples, who live in the forested areas of the west and south of the country. Bangui, founded in 1889 as a French trading post, is the capital on the banks of the Ubangi River. Much of the country lies in the savannah belt of Africa, with treeless in the north and dense tropical rainforest in the south, especially along the Ubangi and Sangha rivers. The savannahs have a wide range of vegetation, from shrubby, drought and fire-resistant trees and shrubs to dense gallery forests along rivers and streams. The savannahs are home to many antelope species, as well as baboons, buffalo and elephants. The Black Rhinos, once numerous, are now rare, victims of overhunting. The rainforest has an even more diverse wildlife, including gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates, leopards and the endangered Bongo Antelope. The rivers are home to many species of fish, crocodiles and hippos. The rich and varied birdlife, a wide variety of snakes, bats and insects, including many colorful butterflies and moths, make the area one of the most zoologically unique in Africa. The country has a number of national parks and wildlife reserves, notably Bamingui-Bangoran National Park in the north, Manovo-Gounda-St. Floris National Park in the northeast, Zemongo Faunal Reserve in the east, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and Dzanga-Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve in the southwest.