Bangui

Bangui is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River. It has been the scene of intense rebel activity and destruction during decades of political upheaval, including the recent rebellion. Archaeological studies have yielded at least 26 ancient Iron Age sites that contain many metallurgical tools and objects.

About Bangui in brief

Bangui is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. As of 2012 it had an estimated population of 734,350. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River. Bangui has been the scene of intense rebel activity and destruction during decades of political upheaval, including the recent rebellion. Archaeological studies have yielded at least 26 ancient Iron Age sites that contain many metallurgical tools and objects, illuminating the pre-European history of the city and surrounding area. The archaeological sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 11 April 2006 in the Cultural category. In 1970, President Jean-Bédel Bokassa inaugurated the University. He established the national airline Air Centrafrique the following year and ordered the construction of two new luxury hotels. In 1981, widespread violence forced the president to flee the country. In April 1974, Brigette Miroux’s body was discovered in a hotel room in Bangua. She was reported to have been murdered by the French media and replaced with the French President David Dacko, who was forced to drop out of the country following Operation Cabanasso. The French government refused to lend him any more money. As a result of this, he banned imports of French imports and assumed control of the Agence France-Presse office. By 1975, Banguo had a population of 300,723. The city is also home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

It is served by the Bangu i M’Poko International Airport. The National Assembly, government buildings, banks, foreign enterprises and embassies, hospitals, hotels, main markets and the Ngaragba Central Prison are all located here. The majority of the population lives in the western parts of the central African Republic, in the city, and the surrounding area of the Ombella-M’Poko prefecture. The commune is the smallest high-level administrative division in the country, but the highest in terms of population. It consists of eight urban districts, 16 groups and 205 neighbourhoods, and is surrounded by 67 square kilometres of land. It has been named in 1996 as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. The capital city is home to a university, which was inaugurated in 1970. It manufactures textiles, food products, beer, shoes and soap. It also has a cathedral, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is the seat of the Roman Catholics of the archdiocese of BanguI. The university is located in the centre of the capital city and is known as the ‘City of the Saints’ It is also the home of the University of the Republic of Central Africa, which opened its doors to the public in 1973. The University is located on the banks of the Umbella Poko River, which runs through the city’s central business district. The capital city is the largest city in the Central African Republic, with an area of 67 square kilometers.