Central African Republic Music
US Department Of State Post Report
The Central African Republic, formerly known as the territory of Oubangui-Chari, was one of four territories of French Equatorial Africa. It became an autonomous republic within the newly established French Community on December 1, 1958, and was renamed the Central African Republic 2 years later. It transformed itself into the Central African Empire on December 4, 1976, and again became a republic (Republique Centrafricaine) on September 20, 1979. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Countries with diplomatic missions here include Algeria, Angola, Belgium, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, and Russia. There is a Papal Nuncio representing the Pope and the Vatican. The following countries have honorary consuls: Cuba, Great Britain, and Mauritania. Many international organizations are also represented, such as the Central African Regional Development Bank, UNDP, the European Community, WHO, UNICEF, the IMF, the World Bank, FAO, UNESCO, UNIC, and the African Union of Post and Telecommunications. A number of other countries are represented by their embassies in Kinshasa. ... [Read More]
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
The law provides for the granting of asylum and refugee status in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The Government continued to provide first asylum. Refugees were accepted into the country from the Central African Republic and Angola during the year. Approximately 360,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Uganda, and Sudan, lived in the country. There were no known reports of the forced return of persons to a country where they feared persecution. ... [Read More]
U.S. and Central American Countries Conclude Historic Free Trade Agreement
Textiles and Apparel: Textiles and apparel will be duty-free and quota-free immediately if they meet the Agreement's rule of origin, promoting new opportunities for U.S. and Central American fiber, yarn, fabric and apparel manufacturing. The agreement's benefits for textiles and apparel will be retroactive to January 1, 2004. An unprecedented provision will give duty-free benefits to some apparel made in Central America that contains certain fabrics from NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada. This provision encourages integration of the North and Central American textile industries, and is a step to prepare for an increasingly competitive global market. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The Democratic Republic of the Congo straddles the equator in the heart of central Africa and shares a border with nine other countries: the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Angola. Congo has access to the Atlantic Ocean on the west through a strip of territory that narrows to 13 miles wide at the coast. Its area includes the greater part of the Congo River Basin and covers 1,465,553 square miles-about the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River. ... [Read More]
U.S. Ambassador's Fund to Help Preserve Taarab Music - "Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"
11 Various efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the former Soviet republics, including restoration of a unique 11th century mausoleum in the Kyrgyz Republic that was an 1important place of pilgrimage for the Muslims of Central Asia; restoration of a church in Moldova whose Byzantine frescoes make it the most historically valuable religious monument 1in the republic; upgrading the oral history archives of Tajikistan; preservation of ancient songs, historical manuscripts and handicrafts representing the Crimean Tartar culture of 1Ukraine; and preservation of artist Marc Chagall's works and restoration of his childhood home in Belarus. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Ambassador's Fund Preserves Cultural Heritage
-- Various efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the former Soviet republics, including restoration of a unique 11th century mausoleum in the Kyrgyz Republic that was an important place of pilgrimage for the Muslims of Central Asia; restoration of a church in Moldova whose Byzantine frescoes make it the most historically valuable religious monument in the republic; upgrading the oral history archives of Tajikistan; preservation of ancient songs, historical manuscripts and handicrafts representing the Crimean Tartar culture of Ukraine; and preservation of artist Marc Chagall's works and restoration of his childhood home in Belarus. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Cameroon has abundant natural resources, but it is a poor country whose estimated per capita income in 1999 was about $590. Cameroon is in the African Financial Community along with six central African and eight west-African countries and France. Through special arrangement, these African countries have as their currency, the African Franc, which provides for unlimited convertibility into the French Franc at a fixed rate (currently, 1 French Franc equals 100 African Francs). Cameroon is the largest economy in central Africa, and Yaounde hosts the regional central bank for the six central African countries that use the African Franc. ... [Read More]
U.S. Embassy, Seoul, Information Resource Center - In The News
- Republic of Korea ... - Republic of Korea ... African American History Month ... [Read More]
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
According to international human rights NGO's, approximately 300,000 Congolese refugees lived in neighboring countries during the year, including approximately 100,000 in the Republic of the Congo and 9,000 in the Central African Republic. In the last months of the year, thousands of refugees fled to Zambia from the increased fighting in Katanga Province. ... Much of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) continued to be ruled by President Laurent Desire Kabila, whose Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL) overthrew the authoritarian regime of Mobutu Sese Seko by armed force in 1997. Kabila continued to rule by decree, despite creating and personally selecting members of a Constituent and Legislative Assembly, and the Government continued to operate without a constitution. The State continued to be highly centralized formally, although in practice the country's dilapidated transportation and communications infrastructure impaired central government control. The Government recognized two progovernment political parties and a splinter group of a prominent opposition party; however, it banned all other opposition parties. The "People's Power Committees" (CPP's) continued to monitor the activities of citizens in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. War broke out in ... [Read More]
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