Central African Republic explained to kids

The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometers (240,000 square miles), making it slightly larger than the U.S. state of Texas. Bordered by six countries (Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon), the CAR has a population of about 4.7 million people. The capital of the CAR is Bangui. The official languages of the CAR are French and Sango. The majority of the population is Christian, with Muslims making up a significant minority. The Central African Republic is a former colony of France. It gained independence in 1960. Since then, the country has experienced several periods of political instability and violence. In 2013, a conflict erupted between the Muslim and Christian communities, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is largely dependent on agriculture. However, the country has significant reserves of gold, diamonds, and other minerals.