Unknown Countries Explained: Central African Republic🇨🇫

Fun fact: The Central African Republic isn't technically the center of Africa, because the central point of that continent isn't located in that country.

Bangui is pronounced Bong-gee! And I agree that the Central African Republic flag stands out because of all the colors and its unique design. The flag of the Central African Republic was designed by Barthélemy Boganda, who was the country's first president in 1958 when it was an autonomous part of the French Community (the country would get their independence in 1960). Boganda’s flag design symbolically expressed his realization that France and Africa must march together. He combined the French tricolor with the pan-African tricolor, with the red stripe vertical to represent the common blood of mankind, and the blood they must shed to protect Africa like they did to protect France. The yellow star represents independence and African unity and progress. It was intended to be the flag of the United States of Latin Africa, a union of Romance language-speaking countries from Chad to Angola which he proposed in 1957. He proposed it as a counter to the British-influenced southern bloc of South Africa and Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. However, the ambitious plan was cut short due to a plane crash in 1959 which ended his life.

The federation of French Equatorial Africa was actually established in 1910! What's now the CAR was only a colony within that federation and not the entire thing. The Upper Ubangi was established as part of the French Congo in 1891. The area was contested from 1892 to 1895 with the Congo Free State. The Upper Ubangi was a separate colony from July 1894 until December 1899, during which it was folded back into the French Congo. The Upper Shari region was established as part of the French Congo in September 1900. That same year the Company of the Upper Ubangi Sultanates took over 140,000 squared km of Upper Ubangi as a concession. The territories were united as the separate colony of Ubangi-Shari in December 1903. Ubangi-Shari would change its name to the Central African Republic in 1958 when it was granted autonomy. Jean-Bédel Bokassa didn't become emperor in 1960 when the country declared independence, as he first rose to power thanks to the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état at the end of 1965 which overthrew David Dacko and instituted a military junta, and then he declared the Central African Empire in 1976. He'd rule as Emperor of Central Africa until 1979 when France partnered with David Dacko to restore the republic and reinstate Dacko.

This was actually one of the first African countries I knew because I liked the flag and the name was easy to remember.

0:58 south Sudan got independence in 2011

Sometimes I really think YouTube hears us. Just yesterday I thought of this country and thought how would it be. Plz continue this playlist of unknown countries ✴️❤💥

Geography now does a similar job, but yours is a little different and concentrating on lesser known countries is good. I'd love to see one on Nauru

Incredible video. Please make more of these. Extremely helpful. 😃

You forgot to mention there is a civil war going on 💀

The driver of the ricksaw that we rode in NYC is from CAF. He's a kind dude.

I would love for you to continue this series. Can you do East Timor next?

It borders south sudan as well as regular sudan, ur map was outdated

What are the most developed/safest areas? Beautiful country. Love this informative video!

This is why they say that you don't have to be rich to be beautiful 😍❤️

A fascinating video. More of them please.

Love this. More please

Is the elephant footage at 0:36 photoshopped/edited? Absolutely beautiful.

You definitely need to more of these

I swear I only heard about Eritrea for the first time like 2 years ago and I’m big into geography. Crazy.

Nice