Central African Republic Day 2023: Citizens of the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) celebrate Republic Day every year on December 1. This is to remember the day that the C.A.R. became an independent state within the French Community in 1958. On this day, the C.A.R. got its freedom, but it was still a part of the French-African empire. People all over the world have a holiday today, so schools and companies are closed. Take advantage of this important and historic day by learning about the country’s history and culture.
Central African Republic Day: A Look Back at Its History
People have lived in the Central African Republic for at least 10,000 years, and the country is landlocked.
Europeans didn’t start moving into Central African land until the 1800s, during the “Scramble for Africa.” In 1885, people from Europe, mostly France, Germany, and Belgium, came to the area.
It was France that took over the Ubangi-Shari land and set up a town there in 1894. The French gave up almost 186,411 square miles of the Sangha and Lobaye rivers to the German Empire in the Treaty of Fez in 1911. The German Empire then gave up a smaller area to France. After the First World War, France took back the land.
French Equatorial Africa was created in 1920, and Brazzaville was the capital of Ubangi-Shari. In the 1920s and 1930s, the French government made it necessary to grow cotton and built a network of roads at the same time. Along with these changes, people tried to get rid of sleeping sickness and set up Protestant missions to spread Christianity in the area.
Because Barthélemy Boganda didn’t trust the French government, he started the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (MESA) in 1950. In politics, he stood up against racism and colonial power.
In 1957, Boganda won an election for the Ubangi-Shari Territorial Assembly and was named president of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa. He was also named vice president of the Ubangi-Shari Government Council. Within a year, he revealed the creation of the C.A.R. and became the first prime minister of the country. On December 1, 1958, the country got its freedom within the French Community.
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How To March For Central African Republic Day
Go to the CAR
Plan your trip to the Central African Republic now. Check out the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, the Oubangui River, and the Les Chutes de Boali, among other places the country has to offer.
Become part of the culture.
Wearing traditional clothes is a great way to show off your background. There are also traditional meals from the country that you can cook, such as Chicken Nyembwe, Egusi soup, Arroz Doce, and Kanda.
Find out about the fight
Spend some time today learning about the many battles that made it possible for this great country to be free. Find out more about the many issues the C.A.R. still has because it used to be a colony.
5 Amazing Facts About The Central African Republic
Lots of wildlife
There are more lowland and jungle elephants living here than in almost any other African country.
There is not a lot of light pollution.
Along with Madagascar, the country is one of the least hit by light pollution.
It’s very different.
Over 80 different racial groups live in the CAR, and each has its own language.
There is a lot of jungle cover.
Because it is a tropical country, C.A.R. used to have the third-most jungle cover in all of Africa.
People who live there will die the least.
In 2019, people in the C.A.R. can expect to live the least, with only 53 years.
Why Central African Republic Day Is Important
It has a lengthy past.
People have lived in the area for at least 10,000 years. Pygmy people, who still live in the western and southern woods of the C.A.R., were likely the first people to live there.
It stands up to imperialism.
Today is a celebration of freedom and a protest against France’s harsh colonial rule. It honours those who stood up to those who enslaved, stole from, and killed the locals of the C.A.R.
We’re very proud of our country.
The people of the C.A.R. are proud of their past and the long fight to get rid of their leaders. On this day, people all over the country shut down their businesses to show their pride in their country.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC REPUBLIC DAY DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2023 | December 1 | Friday |
2024 | December 1 | Sunday |
2025 | December 1 | Monday |
2026 | December 1 | Tuesday |
2027 | December 1 | Wednesday |