The public face of the Central African Republic is one that is both politically brutal and environmentally savage, troubled by recurrent Harmattan winds. Yet the private face of this country is one with an attractive countenance of forests, waterfalls and magnificent national parks that teem with wildlife. Despite the dangers that lurk in a city such as Bangui, the country's capital is friendly, with a strong emphasis on arts and crafts.

However, the Central African Republic's history has impacted on everything. In 1910, the area known as Ubangi-Chari became incorporated into French Equatorial Africa and turned over to a number of concessionaires who ran separate fiefdoms as commercial operations with little or no regard for the indigenous people. Numerous unsuccessful revolts were launched until, immediately after World War II, the territory was granted its own assembly and representation in the French National Assembly. Internal self-government followed - the most notorious prime minister being Bokassa.

The self-styled ‘Emperor’ Bokassa's rule was a particularly profligate one, with his 1977 ‘coronation’ alone estimated to have used up over a quarter of the country’s annual income. The country was renamed the ‘Central African Empire' in a flourish of self-regard. Bokassa was bafflingly tolerated by the French until he appeared to have been personally involved in the massacre of 100 schoolchildren; French paratroops then helped depose the 'Emperor'.

The country reverted to its original title but there was little improvement in its fortunes. Instead, the Central African Republic was subjected to further coups. Positive changes finally looked likely for the Central African Republic in the early 1990s as protests for democracy forced the introduction of a multi-party system. In the first election held under this new democratic constitution in 1993, Patassé was announced president, only to be ousted by a coup in 2003: Bozizé was now president.

Since this farcical stream of coups, order has mostly been restored in the capital (although street-crime is still common) but outside of Bangui, the situation remains potentially dangerous. Bozizé was eventually democratically elected in the May 2005 elections. He has pledged to bring security to the country. The world waits with bated breath to see what results from this pledge, since many believe the Central African Republic to be a beautiful country that has been made ugly by discord for too long.

Geography
The Central African Republic is bordered to the north by Chad, to the east by Sudan, to the south by the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, and to the west by Cameroon. It is a large, landlocked territory of mostly uninhabited forest, bush and game reserves. The Chari River cuts through the center from east to north; towards the Cameroon border the landscape rises to 2,000m (6,560ft) west of Bocaranga in the northwest corner, while the southwest has dense tropical rainforest. Most of the country is rolling or flat plateau covered with dry deciduous forest, except where it has been reduced to grass savannah or destroyed by bush fire. The northeast becomes desert scrubland and mountainous in parts.