Central+African+Republic

Part A: The background of The Central African Republic 1. What is its Location, neighboring countries, and major type of topography? Location: Landlocked country in the center of Africa Neighoring Countries: The Central African Republic borders Chad in the North. To the east it borders Sudan while to the south it borders, Democrat Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. Cameroon is located to the west of the Central African Republic. . Topography: The River Congo basin is located on the Northern edge of C.A.R. Most of the countries land is considered a plateau which forms a watershed between Lake Chad and the River Congo. Two ranges of hills (reaching 1400m) and open grasslands are located in the Northern region of the country. Dense rainforests cover most of the southwest. 2. What type of government does this country have? Who is currently in power? Government: Republic Person in Power: Chief of state: President Francois Bozize Head of government: Prime Minister Faustin-Archange TOUADERA3 3. Are there regions, states, providences, etc in this country, if so explain Regions/Providences: //Capital // --Bangui //Other cities // —Berberati, Bouar, Bambari, Bangassou, Bossangoa, Mbaiki, and Carnot. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt;">4. Draw the Country (include major landforms, cities, aquatic features) <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Map, including rivers, and cities

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">5. Draw its flag and indicate its major languages <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Major Languages: French, Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">

6. What is the population of the country? <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">4,844,927 people <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">7. Is it a LDC or a MDC? What are some clues that lead you to believe this? <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This country is a LDC because it has a 2% growth rate.

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Part B: Country’s Biodiversity of Central African Republic

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1. What is the typical climate for this country? <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Climate: The climate is generally tropical, the northern areas are subject to winds, which are hot, dry, and carry dust. The northern regions have been subject to desertification, (the northeast is desert). The rest has abundant rainfall of about 178 cm (70 in) annually in the south, decreasing to about 86 cm (30 in) in the extreme northeast. There is one rainy season (December– March) and one long, hot, dry season (April–November). Floods are common. Temperatures at Bangui have an average minimum and maximum range from 21° C (70° F) to 34° C (93° F ). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">2. What type of gross domestic Gross and net primary production: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">a. Gross: The economy of the CAR is dominated by the cultivation and sale of food crops such as cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame, and plantain. The annual real GDP growth rate is just above 3%. The importance of food crops over exported cash crops is indicated by the fact that the total production of cassava, the staple food of most Central Africans, ranges between 200,000 and 300,000 tons a year, while the production of cotton, the principal exported cash crop, ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 tons a year. Food crops are not exported in large quantities but they still constitute the principal cash crops of the country because Central Africans derive far more income from the periodic sale of surplus food crops than from exported cash crops such as cotton or coffee <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3. Describe some herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers, and scavengers that live there. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Herbivores here: African Elephant, and **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Red-fronted Gazelle ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Carnivores here: Cheetahs, and Striped Speckled throated Otter ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Omnivores: Warthogs ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Decomposers: Dung Beetles ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">Scavengers: Hyenas and Vultures **

4. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Create a food web from this country <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">5. Are there any regions of this country that are considered “hotspots of biodiversity”?

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Sudano- sahelian steppes, <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">the <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sudan wooded savanna, the Sudano-Guinean woodlands, and finally, dense equatorial forests 6. Keystone Species- Is a species that plays a crucial role in an ecosystem <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Native Species- A species that has developed, occurred naturally, or existed in an area for many years <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">7. Savanna and Forest Biomes <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">8. Interspecific Competition: African Lions and Hyenas <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Predator vs. Prey: Cheetah vs. Gazelle <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Parasite and Host: Ticks and the African Elephant <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Mutualism: Acacia Tree and Ants <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Commensalism: Mites eating the algae off of a sloths fur <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">9. Two endangered species: Chimpanzee and African wild dog <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">10. Black rhino [diceros bicornis] <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">**<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Part D: Biodiversity ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">1. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Savanna, rainforest and desert biomes are located in the central African republic ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">2. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">No aquatic biomes- landlocked ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">3. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Human populations negatively impact the wildlife of large mammal population in Central African Republic due to human intrusion and hunting. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">4. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Extinct species- black rhino ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Endangered species- chimpanzee, African wild dog, Gorilla ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Threatened/ vulnerable species: African Elephant, Red-Fronted Gazelle ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">5. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">These species are endangered due to the destruction of their habitats, and hunting/poaching. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">6. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Typha Grass and water hyacinth causes the water level of Lake Chad to decline. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">7. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Yes, there are laws protecting the African wild dog, LAGA (Last Great Ape Association) and RALPH ( French acronym for strengthening wildlife laws)- is in charge of implementing wildlife laws, WWF **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Part C-Human populations **

**<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">1. Growth rate- 2.146 percent ** ** 2. . ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Doubling time of 32.6 years. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">World population doubling time of 61 years ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Central African republic’s doubling time is lower than the worlds growth rate ** ** 3. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Birth rate- 36.46/ 1,000 population ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Death rate- 15.01 deaths/1,000 population ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Net migration rate- 0 migrants/ 1,000 population ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Rate of growth – calculated [36.46-15.01] plus 0= 21.45, which agrees with the growth rate from number one of 21.46. ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Central African Republic Population Pyramid for 2010 <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Age and sex distribution for the year 2010: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">This age structure indicates that it is a growing population, and that there are more children being born because they are less likely to survive later in life. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; letter-spacing: 0.75pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; vertical-align: middle;">0-14 years: 41% (male 1,021,144/female 1,007,819) <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; letter-spacing: 0.75pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; vertical-align: middle;">15-64 years: 55.3% (male 1,353,600/female 1,382,291) <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; letter-spacing: 0.75pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; vertical-align: middle;">65 years and over: 3.7% (male 73,977/female 111,196) (2011 est.)

**<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">5. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Stage one demographic transition ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">6. ****<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Family planning- international planned parenthood federation, world health organization ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">-Yes, **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">providing sexuality education and SRH services to young people, family planning, gynecological counseling and care, post-abortion care, antenatal care, HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">Part E- Resource Management **

**<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">1. Gold, Uranium and Timber ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">2. Exports: Diamonds ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">3. Imports: Food ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">4. Forest protection: Dzanga- Sangha Protected Area Complex- is an integrated conservation and development project, REDD- this program fights climate change by deforestation, forest degradation ** **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">5. **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">The Livestock Development and Rangeland Management Project has four major objectives, which are: 1) to raise livestock productivity, by expanding animal health services; 2) to alleviate poverty among herders, by rebuilding herds of viable size and broadening their activities to include crop farming; 3) to strengthen the livestock sector's professional organizations, through the democratization of their operations and the decentralization of the decision making process; and 4) to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources. <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">6. National Parks: Andre Felix, Bamingui-Bangoran, Dzanga-Ndoki,and the Manovo-Gounda-Saint Floris **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-weight: normal;">7. Individual- small scale farmers use traditional growing methods of farming. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Subsistence farmers grow cassava, millet, corn, and bananas for their own consumption and for sale on domestic markets. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">8. Pest Control: Personal methods <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">9. Do the people in your country get the food resources that they need? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">- no <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">10. Charity water has constructed wells in the Central African Republic, otherwise they get water by walking for hours to stagnant bodies of water for collection <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">11. Dirty, but with Charity:water’s help they have been able to access safe drinking water from a well.