Archaeological remains indicate that a civilisation existed in the region of modern day CAR before the rise of Egypt. Little is known of that, however, and of the CAR's present inhabitants, pygmies were the first to arrive. More than 1000 years ago people began migrating from Sudan in the east and Cameroon in the west. By 1600, slavery was the rage and villages were continually raided by Arab conquerors from Chad and Sudan, and via the coast by European slavers. Whole villages in the north were depopulated, and people were still being sold in Cairo slave markets until the late 19th century. The CAR today is one of the most lightly populated countries in Africa.

When the European powers carved up Africa, France was awarded most of the central area. The French government soon realised it did not have the

During WWII, cotton and diamond exports reached record levels, and the colony had become a favourite ground for big-game hunters. Resistance to French rule faded in the late 1920s under the combined weight of repression, famine and smallpox epidemics, but the practice of

In 1949 the charismatic leader Barthelemy Boganda founded the first political party, the Mouvement d'Evolution Sociale de l'Afrique Noire, calling for independence. Boganda died in a mysterious plane crash in 1959, however, and his successor, David Dacko, became the country's first president. Dacko's rule quickly became highly repressive and dictatorial, and in 1966, when the country was virtually on its knees, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, the army's commander in chief, led a successful coup.

Bokassa was a leader poured into virtually the same mould as Idi Amin of Uganda. He personally supervised and sometimes participated in the public clubbing to death of prisoners, took over the most important government portfolios, and attempted to wipe out all opposition. France, coveting the uranium deposits at Bakouma and the exclusive big-game hunting grounds near the Sudanese border (patronised by former French president Giscard d'Estaing) continued to indulge Bokassa and bail out his economy. Bokassa squandered foreign loans on prestige projects, and his most outrageous fantasy was to have himself crowned emperor in a renamed Central African Empire. The French picked up most of the tab for the 1977 event, about US$20 million, or nearly the equivalent of the CAR's annual GDP.

Bokassa's downfall came in 1979, when he flew to Libya with a request for aid. The French engineered a little musical chairs and flew former president Dacko back into the country. But he proved unpopular and General André Kolingba, head of the army, seized power in 1981. He promised to return to civilian rule, but progress toward that was excruciatingly slow. That year Bokassa flew back to the CAR, believing that Kolingba wouldn't dare impeach him. He was convicted of treason, murder and cannibalism and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment. His death in 1996 passed almost without comment from the local press.

Kolingba dragged his heels and postponed the elections until 1993, when he was finally defeated by civilian Ange-Félix Patassé in October. A new age could have been ushered in, but the light of the new dawn turned out to be cold and blue, as Patassé stacked the government with his fellow tribesmen. The harsh realities of a nation with its finances and much of its infrastructure in a shambles hit hard, and in 1996 dissident elements of the armed forces came out shooting no fewer than four times. Violence between the government and rebel military and civilian groups continued over pay issues, living conditions, and lack of political representation. This state of unrest has depleted government coffers, destroyed many local enterprises and partly unwound the CAR's social fabric. The government's expulsion of a journalist in January 1999 indicates that it is still struggling with the concept of a free press.

In May 2001, there was a coup attempt in Bangui. While the situation has been diffused, and the alleged ringleader, General Bozize, was granted an amnesty, tensions within the country remain. The situation is particularly volatile near the border with Chad, where many of Bozize's supporters remain and sporadic fighting continues to take place. In addition to this, many state employees have not been paid for over two years, poverty is rife and there are bandits patrolling some parts of the countryside.

In January 2002, the UN Security Council expressed deep concern over the mounting problems in the CAR. The Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has criticised the CAR government's human rights record, focusing in particular on the behaviour of the country's armed forces.

You're likely to hear modern African music on the radio, most of which comes from the two Congos. Some of its exponents have become world famous, and while traditional African music influenced the music of the USA, the Caribbean and Latin America, modern African music has in turn been influenced by jazz, rock and Latin rhythms. Traditional African music is not generally particularly accessible to the Western ear, and although it's full of complex rhythms and harmonies, it is not melodic and may sound as if very little is going on. The log xylophone is one of the most common instruments, and it consists of two long banana tree trunks supporting about five logs that are struck with sticks. The tiny sanza or thumb piano consists of a soundbox of wood with bamboo or metal keys played with the thumbs. If you encounter any pygmies you will probably hear some of their music, because they accompany all of their daily activities with music.

Africans generally place great emphasis on clothing, and a trip to the CAR is a treat to see the quality of people's dress. Women often wear a loose top and a length of cloth (pagne) around the waist as a skirt. Men's casual clothes - which look like pyjamas - are in the same distinctively 'African' designs, but most of the cloth is imported from the Netherlands. The most authentic cloths are the handmade, designed fabrics, such as woodblock prints and batiks and tie-dyed cloths. Dress is normally conservative and shorts are frowned upon, and the standards are usually tougher for women than men.

French is the official language, but Sango is the national language and is widely used on radio and in official situations. Sango is related to Lingala, one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's main languages. There are pockets of Islam in the north, and Christians and animists are in roughly equal numbers throughout the country. Many Christians still maintain at least some animist practices, and because every ethnic group has its own religion there are hundreds of religions in the country. Good and bad magic and spirits play a significant role in local religions, and religious men can read fortunes, give advice on avoiding danger and hand out charms. Much of the life in CAR centres around special events like baptisms, weddings, village celebrations (fêtes), funerals and holidays. There will usually be dancing at all of them except funerals.

In the villages and in African-style homes in the larger towns, people eat with their hands, although visitors will normally be offered a spoon. Always use your right hand, as the left is reserved for the toilet; you will cause significant offence if you do not observe this rule. The best African food you'll find will be in someone's home, but the second best is often on the streets. Generally, the more varied the ingredients the better, and variety is part of what makes the food so interesting. Many dishes are made with okra (gombo) which is very slimy, and because it's commonly used on the streets it's easy to get the impression that there's little else. Meals typically consist of a staple (rice, fermented cassava - another very sticky sensation - or bananas) with some kind of sauce.

Beer halls are everywhere, and beer is generally very good, although you may have to get used to drinking early in the day. Locals enjoy a drink, and alcoholism is a rising problem. Home brew is popular, and two of the most common drinks are palm wine and banana wine, usually sold in jugs along the roadside. Ginger beer is also widespread, as it is throughout most of Africa, although you should be wary of it as the water it is made with is often contaminated.