The Central African Republic, a landlocked country in Central Africa, bounded by Chad on the north, Cameroon on the west, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo on the south, and The Sudan on the east, has an area of 240,535 sq. mi. (622,984 sq. km.) and a population of 3.64 million. Capital: Bangui. Deposits of uranium, iron ore, mangaits, and copper remain to be developed. Diamonds, cotton, timber, and coffee are exported. ,The area that is now the Central African Republic was constituted as the French territory of Ubangi-Shari in 1894. It was united with Chad in 1905 and joined with Middle Congo and Gabon in 1910, becoming one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa. Upon dissolution of the federation on December 1, 1958, the constituent territories became full autonomous members of the French Community. Ubangi-Shari proclaimed its complete independence as the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960.,, ,On January 1, 1966, Colonel Jean-Bedal Bokassa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, overthrew the government of President David Dacko and assumed power as the president of the republic. President Bokassa abolished the constitution of 1959 and dissolved the National Assembly. In 1972 the Congress of the sole political party appointed Bokassa president for life. The republic became a constitutional monarchy on December 4, 1976; President Bokassa was named Emperor Bokassa I. Bokassa was ousted as Central African emperor in a bloodless takeover of the government led by former president David Dacko on September 20, 1979, and the African nation was proclaimed once again a republic. In 1996-97 a mutiny of army personnel created great tensions. It is a member of the ?Union Monetaire des Etats de l?Afrique Centrale.?,, ,See also Central African States, Equatorial African States, and French African States.,, Rulers:,,, ,Emperor Jean-Bedal Bokassa I, 1976-79,, Monetary System:,,, ,1 Franc = 100 Centimes,,