Bangui

Bangui (; or Bangî in Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River (); the Ubangi itself was named from the Bobangi word for the "rapids" located beside the settlement, which marked the end of navigable water north from Brazzaville. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, in Bangui and the surrounding area.

AI overview

Bangui is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic, founded as a French outpost in 1889 on the northern bank of the Ubangi River. The majority of the country's population lives in Bangui and its surrounding region, making it the demographic and administrative center of the nation.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality: Bangui
Country: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka / République centrafricaine
Population: 812,407
Timezone: Africa/Bangui

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Key facts

Settlement.official_name: Bangui
Settlement.other_name: Bangî
Settlement.settlement_type: Capital city
Settlement.image_skyline: Bangui collage.png
Settlement.image_caption: From left to right, top to bottom:
Settlement.pushpin_map: Central African Republic#Africa
Settlement.pushpin_relief: 1
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: left
Settlement.map_caption: Bangui
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Prefecture
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Bangui
Settlement.established_title: Founded
Settlement.established_date: 26 June 1889
Settlement.leader_title: Mayor
Settlement.leader_name: Émile Gros Raymond Nakombo (2016–present)
Settlement.population_as_of: 2021
Settlement.population_total: 812407

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name: Kötä gbätä tî Bangî
Demonym: Banguissoise
Population: 747109
Area: 67339690
Elevation: 369
Image: Bangui City Centre.jpg
Dialing code: 22

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Bangui
inception: 1889-01-01
P8168: Gambassi Terme
native label: Kötä gbätä tî Bangî

Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Understand

Modern Bangui was founded in 1889, but archaeological studies in and around Bangui have yielded at least 26 ancient Iron Age sites that contain many metallurgical tools and objects, illuminating the pre-European history of the city and surrounding area.

See

thumbnail|A pedestrian short cut in Bangui thumbnail|A street performance in Bangui The city centre lies near the river and features a large triumphal arch dedicated to Bokassa, the Presidential Palace and the central market. Lying further north, the heart of the residential area has the largest market and most nightlife. North of the city lie rolling hills.

Buy

Buy beautiful wood carvings, but do not be tempted to buy rare African Grey parrots that are being traded illegally. You will be arrested if you do.

Polo Market. Bangui Mall. Log base PX. Bangla PX. Starmarket. Marche Ouango.

Eat

The city has a community of French expats, which translates into one of the best ice cream parlours in Africa; a supermarket that sells international (mainly French) delicacies, e.g. foie gras; and a really good Italian restaurant.

Coin Grill. Marche 3B - Chez Philbert. Le Delces de Vinght Mille Places. Coin Grill. La Casa Chinese Restaurant & Hotel. Restaurant Le M'. Relais des Chasses. Cuisine A. Restaurant Belle Vue.

Drink

Mocaf is one of the better local beers, cheap and good quality. Comes in a big 650 ml bottle.

Connect

Four GSM-900 mobile telecommunications companies, Telecel CAR, Nationlink Telecom RCA, Orange CAR and MOOV CAR operate out of Bangui. State-owned Socatel is the principal telecom in CAR and Bangui, and is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the communications infrastructure.

Internet cafes with fair prices and speeds are available. MOOV provides GPRS/EDGE Internet access with USB sticks for reasonable prices in whole Bangui and in major cities of CAR as well.

Le Grande Cafe in the city centre has open free Wi-Fi and serves coffee and food.

MOOV and Orange phones can access GPRS/EDGE networks if properly configured. Configuration is provided free at the telecommunication offices at PKZero. Speeds may vary. GPRS is available in Bangui centre, but fades out by PK12.

Stay safe

As of March 2020, the UK government advises against all travel to most parts of Bangui and all but essential travel to "central Bangui between the Airport and the Oubangui river". Other governments including the United States recommend against all travel to CAR, including all parts of Bangui.

The KM-5 district has a particularly high crime rate.

A colour photocopy of your passport can be certified at the Hotel de Ville (city hall) for a few dollars and is much safer to carry around than your passport.