Central African Republic: Holidays, Climate
Public holidays
Date | Holiday |
January 1 | New Year |
March 29 | Anniversary of the death of Barthélemy Boganda |
April May | Easter |
1st of May | Labor Day |
April May | Ascension Day |
May June | Pentecost |
June 30 | National Day of Prayer |
13 August | Independence day |
15th of August | Assumption Day |
November 1 | All Saints Day |
December 1 | National holiday |
25 December | Christmas |
Source: Countryaah – Central African Republic Holidays
Climate
To simplify the representation of the climate, the Central African Republic is divided into two climate zones, the south and the north.
South
The average daytime temperatures in the south from January to May are between 36 -38 °C. From July to September the temperatures are lowest with average daytime temperatures of 31 °C. At night the average temperatures from May to September are 21-23 °C. They drop to around 11 °C by December and then rise again continuously.
There is a short rainy season from May to October, with up to 1,800 mm of rainfall per year.
North
The daytime temperatures in the north remain between 30 – 34 °C all year round and between 19 – 22 °C at night. It rains less here than in the south. However, around 760 mm of rainfall falls between March and November.
National customs
Eating Habits
In the Central African Republic, people usually eat with their hands. It is important to only eat with the right hand, because the left hand is reserved for the toilet and is considered unclean.
Crime
The Central African Republic is one of the most lawless countries in Africa. Armed gangs harass, kill, torture, rape, pillage and destroy civilians. These groups blackmail and threaten civilians and rob children, whom they use drugs to make compliant for their armed groups. For these and other reasons, we strongly advise against traveling to the country.
Situation of children
Child labor is very common in the Central African Republic. UNICEF estimates that around half of children between the ages of five and 14 are forced to do physical labor. The position of the Central African Republic as a target and starting point for child trafficking, which usually ends with recruitment as child soldiers, is also sad. AIDS has orphaned at least 100,000 children. They rarely get support and therefore have to pay for their own living. Poverty is widespread, and therefore complete families are mostly dependent on the earnings of their children.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is not (openly) allowed in the Central African Republic, unless you want to experience social abuse, violence and discrimination. The law is also directed against same-sex love and criminalizes it. Sentences of up to two years in prison are normal.
Central African Republic: Sightseeing
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that CT stands for the nation of Central African Republic as a two-letter acronym.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park (1988)
The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris Nature Park is located in the Bamingui-Bangoran Province.
The biodiversity of the flora and fauna is particularly great in this park.
In the extensive dry savannah here you can find large herds of elephants and gazelles as well as cheetahs, lions and leopards, black rhinos, wild dogs and African buffalo. Many water birds can also be found in the northern floodplains.
Since the game population was severely decimated by poaching and illegal building and gamekeepers were even murdered in the course of their duties, they and other security forces were heavily armed in order to be able to carry out their duties more or less successfully.
The national park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
Sangha Tri National Park (2012)
The Sangha Tri National Park is an amalgamation of national parks in the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Cameroon, making it one of the cross-border world natural heritage sites.
In Cameroon it is the protected rainforest areas of the Lobeke National Park with the Boumba Bek Park and Nki Park. The Ba’Aka pygmies, for example, live in this park and their habitat is protected there.
In the Republic of the Congo, the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park is one of the protected areas.
Approx. 2,000 elephants, approx. 2,800 gorillas and many other species of mammals that are native to the rainforest – such as swamp antelopes, forest buffalos, bongos, leopards and chimpanzees – live in Lobeke Park. There are clearings in the forest guarded by rangers, where elephants and monkeys can often be found.
There are also many endemic birds, amphibians, swallowtail butterflies and forest pigs that only occur here. In the lakes there is a very high fish population with some endemic fish species.
The species diversity of plants in the rainforest is also very abundant. The people who live here harvest bush mangos and honey, which they also sell.
The protection of these forests is absolutely necessary because they are constantly being cleared, not reforested and therefore large areas are already karstified. The penalties for illegal fishing and poaching are very high, unfortunately poachers are caught far too rarely. Special attention – with particularly high fines – is placed on the illegal trade in ivory.
Cities
Bangui
About 685,000 people live in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.
The city, located on the Ubangi River in the southwest of the country, is the cultural, political and economic center of the republic.
It was founded in 1889 as the administrative center of the French colonial territory of Ubangi-Chari and has served as the capital since the Central African Republic gained independence and was founded in 1960.
In Bangui, where Jean-Bédel Bokassa was born, the later President and Emperor of the country, wide streets such as Avenue Boganda, Place de la Republique, the triumphal arch of the former Emperor Bokassa and the market are a veritable delight for everyone who wants to get to know the real African life.
Berbérati
With around 77,000 residents, Berbérati is the third largest city in the Central African Republic. It acts as the capital of the prefecture of Mambéré-Kadéï and extends in the country west near the border with Cameroon. The city is of great tourist interest for most travelers as a starting point for the Dzanga Sangha Reserve.
Bimbo
The capital of the prefecture Ombella-Mpoko spreads about 10 kilometers southwest of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Around 147,000 people live in Bimbo, the birthplace of the famous basketball player Romain Sato (born 1981).
Kaga-Bandoro
In the north of the Central African Republic is Kaga-Bandoro, a market town with around 57,000 residents. It acts as the capital of the economic prefecture of Nana-Grébizi and as the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Kaga-Bandoro.
Significant structures
Boganda National Museum in Bangui
The National Museum of the Central African Republic can be admired in the capital Bangui. It exhibits exhibits that document important stages in the country’s history.
Bokassa Castle in Bangui
In the Central African capital Bangui stands the castle that used to function as the estate of the African dictator Jean-Brédel Bokassa.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Bangui
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the capital Bangui also functions as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui.
Triumphal Arch in Bangui
On the Place de la Republique, a square that forms the center of the city of Bangui, there is a majestic triumphal arch. The construction, designed in the Roman architectural style, goes back to Jean-Bédel Bokassa, the former President and Emperor of the Central African Republic, who was also born in Bangui.
University of Bangui
Established in 1969, the State University of Bangui is the only university in the Central African Republic. There are currently around 6,500 students studying there, very few of them women, because they are subject to strong social pressure to finish school as quickly as possible and to fulfill their traditional role as housewives.
Natural beauties, national parks
The south of the country is covered with a dense rainforest, which becomes less dense in the north and then turns into a dry savannah.
Boali Waterfalls
The falls are 250 m wide and 50 m high and are located northwest of Bangui
Dzanga Sangha Sanctuary
The rainforest sanctuary established in 1986 is home to forest elephants, forest buffalos and bongos on an area of 28,000 km². The highly endangered lowland gorillas or chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and baboons also live here
.
It borders the Nouabele-Ndoki National Park (Republic of the Congo) and the Lobéké National Park (Cameroon).
The sanctuary got its name after the rivers Dzanga and Sangha, which are home to various crocodile and reptile species.
It is worth mentioning that it rains here all year round – and especially heavily in October and November.
National Park Dzongo-Ndoki
In the approximately 1,220 km² large park in the southwest of the country, besides the rare lowland gorillas, there are various antelope species, forest buffalo, leopards, monkeys and a large number of bird species. The last forest elephants of Central Africa live in the protected area.
In the national park, dense tropical forest alternate with extensive grassy areas and smaller lakes that can be accessed by boats and canoes.
However, it rains here almost every day for up to ten months of the year, so you should arrive in the dry season from December to March.
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris
Nature Park is located in the north of the country in the Bamingui-Bangoran province.
The biodiversity of the flora and fauna is particularly great in this park. In the extensive dry savannah here you can find large herds of elephants and gazelles as well as cheetahs, lions, leopards and water buffalos,
and a large number of different bird species are at home in the national park.
The national park was added to the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites in 1988.