Bangui

Bangui is located on the country’s southern border on the northern bank of the Ubangi River, right below a set of rapids that prevent substantial commercial vessels from proceeding upriver. It is the only large city on the river, with a total area of 67 square kilometers (26 sq mi). With beautiful green hills as a background, the navigable Ubangi River swings abruptly south beyond Bangui and links to the Congo River as its primary northern tributary just south of the equator at Brazzaville. The boundary between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is marked by the Ubangi River. Zongo, a Congolese village, is located across the river from Bangui. The river runs east of Bangui’s downtown area. The river’s discharge is three times greater during the rainy season than it is the rest of the year. In the 1970s, the city was also known as La Coquette (the lovely city).

The city core has a massive arch dedicated to Bokassa, as well as the presidential palace and the major market, all close to the river. The residential area’s core, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north, features the main market and much of the nightlife. Many people in the suburbs live in Kodros, which are made of mud bricks and have a thatched roof.

Bangui is the epicenter of the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly, one of the world’s greatest crustal anomalies and Africa’s largest.” It has the shape of a massive elliptical with a center point at 6 degrees north and 18 degrees east, measuring 700 kilometers (430 miles) by 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). The northern, southern, and center anomalies are the three components or segments that make up the anomaly. The magnetic equator runs right through the center of the feature. The origins of the trait remain unknown, despite the fact that it is frequently recorded.

Bangui is the administrative, trade, and commercial capital of the country. During WWII, the nation got wealthy as rubber, cotton, coffee, uranium, and diamond exports surged. Following the war, the employment of locals in mainstream administration resulted in the construction of the country’s infrastructure, which encouraged commerce while stalling the country’s independence movement.

Diamond output increased significantly under David Dacko’s administration, which lasted from 1960 to 1966. This happened when a statute permitting local residents to mine for diamonds removed the monopoly of the French concessionary firms. Diamonds became the country’s primary export when Dacko established a diamond cutting plant in Bangui. However, by the conclusion of his five-year term, widespread corruption and financial mismanagement had resulted in underpaid labor and public unrest. In 1966, Bokassa gained control in a military coup. When new institutions were formed in the city, Bangui became the primary focus for social and cultural activities in the area. However, political unrest in the country, widespread corruption, and President Bokassa’s autocratic authority, which was centered in the city, resulted in an economic slump in the 1970s, which was compounded by a drop in worldwide prices for the country’s key exports. This resulted in widespread poverty and warfare, which was exacerbated by migrants fleeing problematic neighboring nations.

Bangui had its first bank in 1946, when the Bank of West Africa opened a branch there. The city was traditionally a key center for ivory commerce, and Arab dealers controlled it. Textiles, food, beer, shoes, and soap are among the things made in Bangui. Cotton, rubber, lumber, coffee, and sisal are the principal exports. As a result of the prolonged conflict, unemployment in the city hovered at 23% in 2001. The national penitentiary for males, Ngaragba Central Prison, is situated in Bangui. It held 476 prisoners as of 2007, with bad jail conditions recorded.

Telecel CAR, Nationlink Telecom RCA, Orange CAR, and MOOV CAR are four GSM-900 mobile telecommunications carriers that operate out of Bangui. Socatel, a state-owned telecommunications company, is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the communications infrastructure in CAR and Bangui.

Users may access the internet at internet cafés in town using their own laptop computers. The download speeds are acceptable, and the costs are affordable. MOOV offers GPRS/EDGE internet connection using USB sticks at affordable pricing across Bangui and the rest of CAR.

The city center’s Le Grande Cafe offers free Wi-Fi and provides coffee and cuisine.

If correctly setup, MOOV and Orange phones can connect to GPRS/Edge networks. At PKZero’s communications offices, configuration is offered for free. EDGE speeds are typical, however they may decay to G. The Bangui center has GPRS, however it fades off around PK12.

The airport servicing Bangui is Bangui M’Poko International Airport (BGF). It’s around 7 kilometers (4 miles) northwest of Bangui. The airport handled 53,862 passengers in 2004. Douala, Tripoli, Paris (once a week), Brazzaville, Yaoundé, Cotonou, and N’Djamena are all served.

All European (and possibly most other) travelers need a visa, which must be secured before to arrival.

The immigration process is lengthy, taking at least two lines to get all requisite visa stamps. Customs agents randomly choose travelers for luggage inspection as they exit the arrival hall via “Things To Declare.” On their way out, security personnel inspect the baggage tags.

Pickpockets, especially persons purporting to give help, may be found outside the airport building.

MARKET / SUPERMARKET

RESTAURANTS

ENTERTAINMENT

PERSONAL CARE

TRANSPORTATION

The colonial town design of Bangui has been preserved, with broad boulevards leading to the central market place. Boganda Museum, Bangui Zoo, and the Presidential Palace, previously the Bokassa Palace, are among Bangui’s attractions. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui is headquartered at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Traditional musical instruments, weaponry, rural architectural characteristics, historical hunting equipment, ceramics, and religious relics are on exhibit in the Boganda Museum (Musée de Boganda). It features a collection of bark cloth, the material that Bokassa’s bed was covered with.

A number of hotels meet international standards. On the outskirts, the Ledger Plaza Bangui bills itself as a five-star hotel with an outdoor pool and tennis court. The National Hotel, which has 30 rooms, first opened its doors in 1970. The Golf Palace Hotel, the Hotel du Centre with 72 rooms, JM Residence, the Oubangui Hotel, which opened in 1985, and Hotel Somba with 23 rooms are all worth mentioning.

Traditional items featuring art products from many parts of the nation may be found in Bangui’s artists’ market. Woven mats and baskets, rudimentary wooden utensils, carved stools, ceramics, musical instruments, tanned skins, and wood items are examples of handicrafts. Animal horns are used to make the balafon, which is comparable to a xylophone. Butterfly wings pasted with gum on paper, as well as ebony and hardwood sculptures from the tropical area, are examples of innovative designs. Carved animals and human figures are also included in the artwork. Around 100 students are trained in creative craftsmanship in leather, ivory, and ebony items at the Bangui crafts facility.

The city boasts a large French expat population, which has resulted in one of Africa’s greatest ice cream parlors, a supermarket that offers foreign (mostly French) delicacies like as foie gras, and a fantastic Italian restaurant.

The cuisine of the Central African Republic is known as Centrafrican, and the Bangui main diet consists of cassava, rice, squash, pumpkins, and plantains eaten with a sauce and grilled meat. Gombo, often known as okra, is a popular vegetable. Peanut butter and peanuts are commonly utilized. Game, as well as the fish-based delicacies maboké and soussou, are popular. To make fufu, manioc flour is needed. In Bangui, there are three kinds of restaurants.

Some restaurants specialize in foreign cuisine, such as ‘Relais des Chasses,’ ‘La Tentation,’ and ‘L’Escale,’ which provide French cuisine, and ‘Ali Baba’ and ‘Beyrouth,’ which serve Lebanese cuisine. There are several African eateries, including “Madame M’boka,” which is a local favorite. Bangui’s culinary culture is complemented by a variety of pubs and street food booths. Locally produced beer, palm wine, and banana wine are among the alcoholic drinks available. Ginger beer is a non-alcoholic beverage that is consumed.