Introduction
The capital, main river port, and largest city of the Central African Republic, Bangui is located on the west bank of the Ubangi River. The city is in a tropical zone, and heavy rains fall there. Although Bangui is not famous as a tourist attraction, it is important as a government and business center.
Places of interest
The historic section of Bangui is near the river's edge. The presidential palace and central market are near the ferry port. The main cultural institutions are the University of Bangui, the National School of Arts, and the Boganda Museum. The museum displays a large collection of traditional musical instruments, weapons, hunting tools, pottery, and religious objects. Carvings and wooden statuettes are sold at an artisans' market.
Economy
The country's diamond trade is supervised from Bangui, where the offices and banks of the major diamond-mining companies are located. Other companies manage gold mining. The government is another major employer. Many people have jobs at the river port, where cotton, wood, coffee, and sisal are shipped out of the country. Nearly all of the Central African Republic's sawmills are located in Bangui or nearby.
History
People have lived along the Ubangi River for thousands of years. The modern city of Bangui began as a small fort, built by the French after 1887 to help them control the central region of Africa. Bangui grew quickly, reaching a population of 40,000 by 1910. It became the official national capital when independence was granted in 1960.
Bangui's streets have sometimes been the scene of riots and looting, during which many stores and businesses have been damaged. French troops were stationed in Bangui for many years, because of political unrest in the country, but they left the city in 1997. Several African nations then sent soldiers there to help keep the peace. The United Nations took control of peacekeeping efforts in Bangui in 1998. A small number of United Nations advisers remained during the following years to encourage a peaceful, democratic government. However, there was more violence in Bangui in 2001. Population (1995 estimate), 553,000.
