Bocaranga is a

sub-prefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...

in the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

Ouham-Pendé Ouham-Pendé is one of the 20 prefectures of the Central African Republic. Its capital is Bozoum. The prefecture covers an area of 18,520 km² and, according to official estimates, its population was 254,649 inhabitants in 2024. At the time of ...

in the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...

. The city must not be confused with Bocaranga I, Bocaranga II, Bocaranga III and Bocaranga IV. These are smaller villages along the road from Bocaranga to

Bouar Bouar is a market town in the western Central African Republic, lying on the main road from Bangui (437 km) to the frontier with Cameroon (210 km). The city is the capital of Nana-Mambéré prefecture, has a population of 40,353, while t ...

History

The village of Bocaranga was ceded to

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

on 4 November 1911. It went back to French Oubangi-Chari rule in 1914. In 1946 it became a district and on January 23, 1961 it became a sous-préfecture within the newly independent Central African Republic.

Civil war

On 23 September 2017 Bocaranga was captured by 3R rebels from

Anti-balaka The Anti-balaka (''anti-machete'') is an alliance of militia groups based in the Central African Republic in the early 21st century said by ''the Guardian'' to be composed primarily of Christians, but also some Muslims. However, some church leade ...

. It was recaptured by government forces on 7 January 2019.

Geography and climate

The city is located in the highlands of the northwest part of the country. It is surrounded by granite hills and rocks. Northwest of the city is Mount Bocaranga (1309 m), which is one of the highest points in the country. Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw).

Transport

There is an airstrip outside town,

Bocaranga Airport Bocaranga Airport is an airstrip serving Bocaranga, a town in the Ouham-Pendé prefecture of the Central African Republic. The airport runs alongside the RR4 road at Bokongo, a hamlet south of Bocaranga. See also * * *Transport in the Centra ...

. The roads leading to Bocaranga are unpaved.

Notes and references

{{Ouham-Pendé Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic Populated places in Ouham-Pendé