Central African Republic Weather and Climate

According to COUNTRYAAH, Central African Republic is a Central West African state (622,436 km²). Capital: Bangui. Administrative division: prefectures (17). Population: 4,226,000 residents (2008 estimate). Language: French (official), Sudanese dialects, Sango. Religion: Catholics 20%, Animists / Traditional Beliefs 19%, Protestants 16%, Muslims 15%, others 30. Currency unit: CFA franc (100 cents). Human Development Index: 0.352 (178th place). Borders: Chad (N), Sudan (E), Democratic Republic of Congo (S) and Cameroon (W). Member of: UN, AU and WTO, EU associate.

The Central African Republic straddles equatorial Africa and Sudanese Africa; corresponds to the former French colony of Oubangui-Chari. Its central position is evident; from here in fact derives its name, assumed in 1960 at the time of the proclamation of independence from France, which had colonized it precisely for its strategic interest. On the other hand, its being landlocked, constituted a serious impediment to economic development, still at the beginning of the third millennium. Since the last decade of the twentieth century, the same export crops of colonial origin, cotton and coffee, have been in decline, while the smuggling of diamonds, managed by the Muslim population of the North, takes away an important resource from the finances of the state.

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Climate

The Central African Republic is climatically in the tropics. While the south belongs to the always humid tropics, the central part and the north of the country are in the alternately humid tropics. Here the year is divided into a dry and a wet season.

In the southern part there is annual precipitation of up to 1,600 mm. It’s humid most of the year. Only around the turn of the year is there a short, two-month dry phase. The humidity is 75-80%. Warm temperatures between 25 ° C in July / August and 28 ° C in March prevail here all year round. Because of the proximity to the equator, the seasonal temperature differences are small. Even at night, the thermometer hardly sinks below 20 ° C. The high humidity ensures that the climate is felt to be very humid and oppressive.

To the north, the precipitation and the duration of the rainy season decrease. In the humid tropical climate of the central part of the country, around 1,400 mm of rain are reached each year. The precipitation falls almost exclusively in the eight months between April and November.

In the north, the rainy season lasts from May to October. There are also only 750-800 mm of precipitation per year. The temperatures fluctuate more strongly here. While it gets extremely hot, especially in the dry season, sometimes up to 40 ° C, the values ​​can drop to 10 ° C at night. The average temperature is between 22 and 30 ° C. In addition, the hot, dry and dusty harmattan wind is noticeable in the north, blowing from the Sahara and significantly reducing the humidity.

Best time to travel to the Central African Republic

The optimal travel time depends on the length of the rainy season in the part of the country you want to visit.

The short dry season in December to February is recommended for the south. Because only then the roads and slopes – in contrast to the rainy season – can be used.

In the north, the dry season lasts longer. Therefore, a trip to this region is possible from November to April. Although it is the hottest in the north during these months, it is still more bearable than traveling in the oppressive, humid and hot rainy season.