OFFICIAL NAME:
Central African Republic

Geography
Area: 622,984 sq. km. (242,000 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Texas.
Cities: Capital--Bangui (pop. 690,000). Other cities--Berberati
(56,867), Bouar (39,676), Bambari (32,603), Bangassou (24,450),
Bossangoa (31,723), Mbaiki (16,901), and Carnot (31,324).
Terrain: Rolling plain 600 meters-700 meters (1,980 ft.-2,310 ft.) above sea level; scattered hills in northeast and southwest.
Climate:
Tropical, ranging from humid equatorial in the south to Sahelo-Sudanese
in the north; hot, dry winters with mild to hot, wet summers.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Central African(s).
Population (2004): 3.9 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: More than 80; Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandja 13%, Mboum 7%, M'baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%.
Religions: Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, indigenous beliefs 35%.
Languages: Sangho (official), Sangho (national).
Education: Years compulsory--6. Enrollment--primary school 75%. Literacy--50%.
Health: Infant mortality rate—115 deaths/1,000. Life expectancy--avg. 43 yrs.
Work force (approx. 53% of pop.): Agriculture--75%; industry--6%; commerce and services--4%; government--15%.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: August 13, 1960.
Constitution:
Passed by referendum December 29, 1994; adopted January 1995. Suspended
by decree in March 2003. New constitution passed by referendum December
5, 2004.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers. Legislative--unicameral National Assembly. National Transitional Council created following 2003 dissolution of the National Assembly. Judicial--Constitutional Court, inferior courts, criminal courts, Court of Appeals.
Administrative subdivisions: 16 prefectures, commune of Bangui.
Political
parties: Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Central African
Democratic Assembly (RDC), Civic Forum (FC), Democratic Forum (FODEM),
Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), Movement for Democracy and Development
(MDD), Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People
(MLPC), Patriotic Front for Progress (FPP), People's Union for the
Republic (UPR), National Unity Party (PUN), and Social Democratic Party
(PSD).
Suffrage: Universal over 21.

Economy
GDP: (2002) $1.045 billion.
Annual growth rate: -7.2% (2003); 0.5% (2004 est.).
Per capita income (2002): $260.
Avg. inflation rate: 4.2% (2003); 3.2 (2004 est.).
Natural resources: Diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil.
Agriculture (2002, 54.8% of GDP): Products--Timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, foodcrops, livestock. Cultivated land--unavailable.
Industry (2002, 21.6% of GDP): Types--Diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles, and soap.
Services (2002): 23.6% of GDP.
Trade (2004): Exports--$161 million; diamonds, coffee, cotton, timber, tobacco. Major markets--Belgium, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Egypt, Spain, and Cote d'Ivoire. Imports--$119
million; food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical
equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods,
industrial products. Major suppliers--France, United States, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Germany, Japan.
Central government budget (2002): $226 million.
Defense (2002, 2.4% of budget): $5.4 million.
Fiscal year: Calendar year.
U.S.
aid received (2003): Due to Section 508 restrictions triggered by the
2003 coup, U.S. assistance to the Central African Republic government
is prohibited except in the areas of humanitarian aid and support for
democratization.

PEOPLE
There
are more than 80 ethnic groups in the Central African Republic
(C.A.R.), each with its own language. About 75% are Baya-Mandjia and
Banda (40% largely located in the northern and central parts of the
country), and 4% are M'Baka (southwestern corner of the C.A.R.).
Sangho, the language of a small group along the Oubangui River, is the
national language spoken by the majority of Central Africans. Only a
small part of the population has more than an elementary knowledge of
French, the official language.

More than 55% of the
population of the C.A.R. lives in rural areas. The chief agricultural
areas are around the Bossangoa and Bambari. Bangui, Berberati,
Bangassou, and Bossangoa are the most densely populated urban centers.

HISTORY
The
C.A.R. appears to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by
overlapping empires, including the Kanem-Bornou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, and
Dafour groups based in Lake Chad and the Upper Nile. Later, various
sultanates claimed present-day C.A.R, using the entire Oubangui region
as a slave reservoir, from which slaves were traded north across the
Sahara and to West Africa for export by European traders. Population
migration in the 18th and 19th centuries brought new migrants into the
area, including the Zande, Banda, and Baya-Mandjia.

In 1875 the Egyptian sultan
Rabah governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day C.A.R.
Europeans, primarily the French, German, and Belgians, arrived in the
area in 1885. The French consolidated their legal claim to the area
through an 1887 convention with Congo Free State, which granted France
possession of the right bank of the Oubangui River. Two years later,
the French established an outpost at Bangui, and in 1894,
Oubangui-Chari became a French territory. However, the French did not
consolidate their control over the area until 1903 after having
defeated the forces of the Egyptian sultan Rabah and established
colonial administration throughout the territory. In 1906, the
Oubangui-Chari territory was united with the Chad colony; in 1910, it
became one of the four territories of the Federation of French
Equatorial Africa (A.E.F.), along with Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and
Gabon. The next 30 years were marked by small-scale revolts against
French rule and the development of a plantation-style economy.

In August 1940, the
territory responded, with the rest of the A.E.F., to the call from Gen.
Charles de Gaulle to fight for Free France. After World War II, the
French Constitution of 1946 inaugurated the first of a series of
reforms that led eventually to complete independence for all French
territories in western and equatorial Africa. In 1946, all A.E.F.
inhabitants were granted French citizenship and allowed to establish
local assemblies. The assembly in C.A.R. was led by Barthelemy Boganda,
a Catholic priest who also was known for his forthright statements in
the French Assembly on the need for African emancipation. In 1956
French legislation eliminated certain voting inequalities and provided
for the creation of some organs of self-government in each territory.
The French constitutional referendum of September 1958 dissolved the
A.E.F., and on December 1 of the same year the Assembly declared the
birth of the Central African Republic with Boganda as head of
government. Boganda ruled until his death in a March 1959 plane crash.
His cousin, David Dacko, replaced him, governing the country until 1965
and overseeing the country's declaration of independence on August 13,
1960.

On January 1, 1966,
following a swift and almost bloodless coup, Col. Jean-Bedel Bokassa
assumed power as President of the Republic. Bokassa abolished the
constitution of 1959, dissolved the National Assembly, and issued a
decree that placed all legislative and executive powers in the hands of
the president. On December 4, 1976, the republic became a monarchy with
the promulgation of the imperial constitution and the proclamation of
the president as Emperor Bokassa I. His regime was characterized by
numerous human rights atrocities.

Following riots in Bangui
and the murder of between 50 and 200 schoolchildren, former President
Dacko led a successful French-backed coup against Bokassa on September
20, 1979. Dacko's efforts to promote economic and political reforms
proved ineffectual, and on September 20, 1981, he in turn was
overthrown in a bloodless coup by Gen. Andre Kolingba. For 4 years,
Kolingba led the country as head of the Military Committee for National
Recovery (CRMN). In 1985 the CRMN was dissolved, and Kolingba named a
new cabinet with increased civilian participation, signaling the start
of a return to civilian rule. The process of democratization quickened
in 1986 with the creation of a new political party, the Rassemblement Democratique Centrafricain

(RDC), and the drafting of a new constitution that subsequently was
ratified in a national referendum. General Kolingba was sworn in as
constitutional President on November 29, 1986. The constitution
established a National Assembly made up of 52 elected deputies, elected
in July 1987. Due to mounting political pressure, in 1991 President
Kolingba announced the creation of a national commission to rewrite the
constitution to provide for a multi-party system. Multi-party
presidential elections were conducted in 1992 but were later cancelled
due to serious logistical and other irregularities. Ange Felix Patasse
won a second-round victory in rescheduled elections held in October
1993, and was re-elected for another 6-year term in September 1999.

Salary arrears, labor
unrest, and unequal treatment of military officers from different
ethnic groups led to three mutinies against the Patasse government in
1996 and 1997. The French succeeded in quelling the disturbances, and
an African peacekeeping force (MISAB) occupied Bangui until 1998 when
they were relieved by a UN peacekeeping mission (MINURCA). Economic
difficulties caused by the looting and destruction during the 1996 and
1997 mutinies, energy crises, and government mismanagement continued to
trouble Patasse's government through 2000. In March 2000 the last of
the MINURCA forces departed Bangui. In May 2001 rebel forces within the
C.A.R. military, led by former President and Army General Andre
Kolingba, attempted a military coup. After several days of heavy
fighting, forces loyal to the government, aided by a small number of
troops from Libya and the Congolese rebel Movement for the Liberation
of the Congo (MLC), were able to put down the coup attempt. In November
2001, there were several days of sporadic gunfire between members of
the Presidential Security Unit and soldiers defending sacked Chief of
Staff of the Armed Forces Francois Bozize, who fled to Chad. In
mid-2002 there were skirmishes on the C.A.R.-Chad border.

In October 2002, former
Army Chief of Staff Francois Bozize launched a coup attempt that
culminated in the March 15, 2003 overthrow of President Patasse and the
takeover of the capital. General Bozize declared himself President,
suspended the constitution, and dissolved the National Assembly. Since
seizing power, President Francois Bozize has made significant progress
in restoring order to Bangui and parts of the country, and professed a
desire to promote national reconciliation, strengthen the economy, and
hold elections. However, this progress is precarious and could be
easily derailed. In spite of the irregular nature of Bozize’s accession
to power, the new government has been inclusive and attempted to
promote political reconciliation. Bozize has appointed people from
across the political spectrum, including respected oppositionists, to
his government and launched a national dialogue. Bozize’s government
has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to restoring democratic
processes, and appears to be taking steps in that direction. Bozize
released an electoral calendar, and on March 31, 2004 the National
Transitional Council, established to assist the transition to
democracy, voted to create an independent commission to oversee the
county’s first elections since the March 2003 coup. The first round of
the presidential and legislative elections will be held on March 13,
2005. Eleven candidates, including General Bozize, are official
candidates in the presidential election.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under
the suspended constitution, the government is a republic comprised of a
strong executive branch (president, vice president, prime minister, and
council of ministers), and weak legislative (unicameral National
Transitional Council) and judicial branches. Government and opposition
party members, as well as civil society and the military are
represented in the three branches, although the president appoints the
vice president, prime minister, members of the cabinet (Council of
Ministers), top military officials, and managers of national
parastatals. A constitutional referendum is scheduled to be held on
November 28, 2004. For administration purposes, the country is divided
into 16 prefectures that are further divided into over 60
subprefectures; the commune of Bangui is administered separately. The
president currently appoints heads of these administrative units,
called "prefets" and "sous-prefets".

When functioning, the
National Assembly is made up of 109 members elected by popular vote to
serve 5-year terms. The last legislative elections were held in 1998;
in contested results, the government’s Movement for the Liberation of
the Central African People (MLPC) won just over 50% control of the
legislative body. There are 174 communes, each headed by a mayor and
council appointed by the president. Suffrage is universal over the age
of 21. The current National Transitional Council is composed of 70
representatives, some of whom were appointed, and some elected by their
various civil society groups. Legislative elections are scheduled to
take place in early 2005, and it is anticipated that the National
Assembly will be reinstated at that time.

The judicial sector
encompasses the Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Court of
Appeals, criminal and civil courts, Labor Court, and Juvenile Court,
although several of these courts have insufficient resources and
trained personnel to operate on a regular basis. The Criminal Court of
Bangui sits once or twice a year, usually for 1 or 2 months each
session. Judges are appointed by the president; executive influence
often impedes transparent handling of judicial affairs. Military courts
exist but are currently only used to try military personnel for crimes
committed in the course of duty. There are a limited number of formal
courts currently functioning outside Bangui; traditional arbitration
and negotiation play a major role in administering domestic, property,
and probate law.

The Central African
Republic has a vibrant civil society, with numerous professional,
labor, and local development associations actively carrying out
campaigns and gaining greater local and international credibility.

The C.A.R. Government's
human rights record remains flawed. There are continued reports of
arbitrary detainment, torture and, to a lesser degree, extra judicial
killings. Journalists have occasionally been threatened, and prison
conditions remain harsh.

Principal Government Officials
President of the Republic, Head of State--Francois Bozize
Vice President--Abel Goumba
Prime Minister, Head of Government--Celestin Gaombalet
President of the National Transitional Council--Nicolas Tiangaye

Other Ministers
Minister of State in Charge of National Education, Literacy, Higher Education, and Research--Karim Meckassoua
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development--Lt. Col. Parfait Mbaye
Minister of State in Charge of Planning, Economy, Finance, Budget, and International Cooperation--Daniel Nditifei Boysembe
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Francophone Affairs--Charles Herve Wenezoui
Minister of Interior in Charge of Territorial Administration--Lt. Col Michel Salle
Minister of Justice, Human Rights, and Good Governance--vacant
Minister of Equipment and Transport--M’pokomandji Sonny
Minister of Mines and Energy--Maj. Sylvain Ndoutingai
Minister of Communication, National Reconciliation, Democratic and Civic Culture--Joseph Kiticki-Kouamba
Minister of Waters, Forests, Hunting, and Fisheries--Denis Kossi-Bella
Minister in Charge of Government General Secretariat and Relations with Parliament--Zarambaud Assingambi
Minister of Restoration for Government Buildings, Urban Planning, and Housing--Abraham Ngoto Bouloum
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in Charge of New Technologies--Idriss Salao
Minister of Civil Service, Labor, Social Security, and Professional Insertion--Jacques Boti
Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts, and Culture--Desiré Kolingba
Minister of Tourism and Craft Industry Development--Bruno Dacko
Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Private Sector Promotion--Didier Wangue
Minister of Public Health and Population--Prof. Nestor Mamadou Nali
Minister Delegate to the Interior Minister in Charge of Public Security--Col. Jules Bernard Ouande
Minister Delegate to the Foreign Minister in Charge of Regional Integration and Francophone Affairs--Guy Moskit
Minister
Delegate to the Minister of Planning, Economy, Finance, Budget and
International Cooperation--Col. Marboua Mohamed Mahdi
Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Education--Etienne Natalo

Ambassador to the United States--Emmanuel Touaboy
Ambassador to the United Nations--Charge d’Affaires Fernand Poukre-Kono

The Central African Republic
maintains an embassy in the United States at 1618-22nd Street, NW,
Washington, DC (tel: 202-483-7800/01, fax: 202-332-9893).

ECONOMY
The
Central African Republic is classified as one of the world's least
developed countries, with an annual per capita income of $260 (2002).
Sparsely populated and landlocked, the nation is overwhelmingly
agrarian, with the vast bulk of the population engaged in subsistence
farming and 55% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) arising
from agriculture. Principal crops include cotton, food crops (cassava,
yams, bananas, maize), coffee, and tobacco. In 2002, timber accounted
for about 30% of export earnings. The country also has rich but largely
unexploited natural resources in the form of diamonds, gold, uranium,
and other minerals. There may be oil deposits along the country's
northern border with Chad. Diamonds are the only of these mineral
resources currently being developed; in 2002, diamond exports made up
close to 50% of the C.A.R.'s export earnings. Industry contributes only
about 20% of the country's GDP, with artesian diamond mining,
breweries, and sawmills making up the bulk of the sector. Services
currently account for about 25% of GDP, largely because of the
oversized government bureaucracy and high transportation costs arising
from the country's landlocked position.

Hydroelectric plants based
in Boali provide much of the country’s limited electrical supply. Fuel
supplies must be barged in via the Ubangui River or trucked overland
through Cameroon, resulting in frequent shortages of gasoline, diesel,
and jet fuel. The C.A.R.'s transportation and communication network is
limited. The country has only 650 kilometers of paved road, limited
international and no domestic air service (except charters), and does
not possess a railroad. Commercial traffic on the Ubangui River is
impossible from December to May or June, and conflict in the region has
sometimes prevented shipments from moving between Kinshasa and Bangui.
The telephone system functions, albeit imperfectly. Four radio stations
currently operate in the C.A.R., as well as one television station.
Numerous newspapers and pamphlets are published on a regular basis, and
at least one company has begun providing Internet service.

In the more than 40 years
since independence, the C.A.R. has made slow progress toward economic
development. Economic mismanagement, poor infrastructure, a limited tax
base, scarce private investment, and adverse external conditions have
led to deficits in both its budget and external trade. Its debt burden
is considerable, and the country has seen a decline in per capita gross
national product (GNP) over the last 30 years. Structural adjustment
programs with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
interest-free credits to support investments in the agriculture,
livestock, and transportation sectors have had limited impact. The
World Bank and IMF are now encouraging the government to concentrate
exclusively on implementing much-needed economic reforms to jumpstart
the economy and defining its fundamental priorities with the aim of
alleviating poverty. As a result, many of the state-owned business
entities have been privatized and limited efforts have been made to
standardize and simplify labor and investment codes and to address
problems of corruption. The C.A.R. Government has adopted the Central
African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) Charter of Investment,
and is in the process of adopting a new labor code.

DEFENSE
Under
military restructuring plans formulated 1999-2000, the civilian
Minister of Defense controlled and directed all armed forces, including
the Presidential Security Unit (UPS), which had previously been seen as
a militia supporting the president. In April 2001, the C.A.R. armed
forces numbered about 3,000, including army, navy, air force,
gendarmerie, national police, Presidential Security Unit, and local
police personnel. An estimated 1,200 members of the army and
gendarmerie fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo following the
failed coup attempt of May 2001.

Following the 2003 coup,
Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC-Communauté
Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale) and C.A.R. armed forces
assumed responsibility for securing the capital city. CEMAC forces
currently total approximately 400 soldiers, which are supported by an
additional 200 French soldiers. The C.A.R. armed forces number
approximately 2,000. Working with the French, the C.A.R. military is
attempting to provide professional training and decentralize its troops
in an effort to combat road bandits, thievery, and poaching throughout
the C.A.R. territory.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
The
Central African Republic is an active member in several Central African
organizations, including the Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), the
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) Central African
Peace and Security Council (COPAX--still under formation), and the
Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC). Standardization of tax,
customs, and security arrangements between the Central African states
is a major foreign policy objective of the C.A.R. Government. The
C.A.R. is a participant in the Community of Sahel-Saharan States
(CEN-SAD), and the Organization of African Unity (OAU--now the African
Union). Libya and, to a lesser degree, Sudan have shown increased
interest in cooperation with the C.A.R. over the last year.

Outside of Africa, the
C.A.R. maintains fairly close ties to France, albeit considerably
reduced from previous years. In the late 1990s, France withdrew forces
stationed in the C.A.R.; drops in its external assistance budget have
reduced French military and social development aid to the country.
Other multilateral organizations--including the World Bank,
International Monetary Fund, UN agencies, European Union, and the
African Development Bank--and bilateral donors--including Germany,
Japan, the European Union, China, and the United States--are
significant development partners for the C.A.R.

Seventeen countries have
resident diplomatic or consular representatives in Bangui, and the
C.A.R. maintains approximately the same number of missions abroad.
Since early 1989 the government recognizes both Israel and the
Palestinian state. The C.A.R. also maintains diplomatic relations with
China. The C.A.R. generally joins other African and developing country
states in consensus positions on major policy issues.

U.S.-C.A.R. RELATIONS
The
U.S. and C.A.R. enjoy generally good relations, although concerns over
the pace of political and economic liberalization and human rights have
affected the degree of support provided by the U.S. to the country. The
U.S. Embassy in Bangui was briefly closed as a result of the 1996-97
mutinies. It reopened in 1998 with limited staff, but U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and Peace Corps missions previously
operating in Bangui did not return. The American Embassy in Bangui
again temporarily suspended operations on November 2, 2002 in response
to security concerns raised by the October 2002 launch of Francois
Bozize’s 2003 military coup.

The Department of State has
approved the lifting of suspended operations and the gradual return of
American personnel to Embassy Bangui. However, there currently is
limited U.S. diplomatic/consular representation in the C.A.R. As a
result, the ability of the Embassy to provide services to American
citizens remains extremely limited. The Embassy remains fully staffed
by Foreign Service Nationals in anticipation of fully reopening the
post once the security situation is deemed stable. Political relations
with the government in Bangui are handled by the Department of State.
Due to Section 508 restrictions triggered by the coup, U.S. assistance
to the Central African Republic is prohibited except in the areas of
humanitarian aid and support for democratization.

The U.S. Department of
State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to the Central
African Republic. Americans in the C.A.R. are urged to exercise caution
and maintain security awareness at all times. U.S. citizens who travel
to or remain in the Central African Republic and need emergency
assistance should contact the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon at
telephone (237) 223-4014, (237) 223-0512, fax (237) 223-0753, and
223-0581 (Consular). Americans may also contact the American Embassy in
N'djamena, Chad at telephone (235) 51-70-09, 51-92-33 or 51-90-52 and
fax (235) 51-56-54. As noted above, since the United States has a
limited diplomatic presence in the Central African Republic, the
ability to provide services to U.S. citizens in the C.A.R. is extremely
limited.

Principal U.S. Officials
Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Bangui--James Panos
Desk Officer for C.A.R.--David Seminara

The U.S. Embassy in Bangui is located on Blvd David Dacko, Bangui (tel: 236-61-02-00, fax: 61-44-94, B.P. 924, Bangui).

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The
U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political
disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements
are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free
copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of
Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are
available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov.
Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain
information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are
on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning
Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas
Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies,
Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

The National Passport Information Center
(NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT
(1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for
TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health
information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web
site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or
requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions
and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International
Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa
requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and
other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your
departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for
this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this
publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov
or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a
country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their
passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an
emergency.


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