Culture and history

The modern CAR was formed at the intersection of Central African routes between the Ubangi and Shari basins.

Historically, Gbaya, Banda, Sara, Aka/Babinga and other peoples lived here with an oral tradition of storytellers, hunting rites and collective dances.

In the late XIX - early XX centuries, the territory became a colony of France Ubangi-Shari; after independence in 1960, the country went through periods of political change (including an "imperial" episode of the 1970s) and a phased state recovery.

The cultural code is multi-layered: official French is adjacent to sango (the language of interethnic communication), and Christianity and Islam are intertwined with local beliefs.

The music is based on the polyrhythmia of drums, the singing traditions of forest communities and the urban Afropop of Bangui; in everyday life, collective holidays, masks and wood carving, rafia weaving and beaded ornaments are important.

The cuisine relies on cassava, peanuts, palm oil and river fish.

Despite urbanization and challenges, communal mutual assistance, crafts and music and dance practices remain the foundation of the country's cultural identity.