People of Bangui

The Central African Republic has a population around 3.3million. Most of the indigenous people of still maintain a traditional living style. Some of the main tribes are Banda, Gbaya, Manja, Sara, and Zande. Intermarriage between the many tribes of the country makes categorising them very difficult.

The southwestern area is home to some 15,000 pygmies. This tribe has kept aloof from the rest of the CAR, keeping in touch with their roots by continuing with their ancestral hunting techniques and harvesting crops for their own consumption. They still practice the barter system and shun the use of currency.

Like the pygmies many other tribes in the Republic also use the barter system. Most of the tribes speak the inter-tribal language known, as Sango, which is spoken along the Oubangui River but is understood by everybody in Central African Republic.

Social life in the country revolves around events like baptisms, weddings, village celebrations, funerals and holidays. Lively dancing marks all these celebrations except, of course, the funerals. Although the dress code is informal, it is important to remember that a large part of the country is Muslim and care should be taken to dress modestly. Women are strictly segregated especially in towns and urban areas. During the annual fasting month of Ramadan, visitors to Muslim areas need to take particular care not to smoke, drink or eat in public.