Mbaïki (also spelt Mbaki or M'Baiki) is the capital of

Lobaye Lobaye is one of the 20 prefectures of the Central African Republic. Its capital is Mbaïki. In 2024, official estimates suggest the population reached 361,289 inhabitants. Emperor Duy Tân of Vietnam died here on December 26, 1945 in a plane ...

, one of the 14

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 ...

s of 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 ...

. It is situated in the southwest of the country, 107 km from the capital

Bangui Bangui (; or Bangî in Sango language, Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in the Central African Republic, largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a Fren ...

. Lobaye people and

Pygmy In anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. The term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a po ...

people live in the area. There is also a

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

near the town.

History

Mbaïki was ceded by France to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

under the terms of the 1911 Morocco-Congo Treaty, becoming part of the German colony of

Neukamerun Neukamerun was the name of Central African territories ceded by the Third French Republic to the German Empire in 1911. Upon taking office in 1907, Theodor Seitz, governor of Kamerun, advocated the acquisition of territories from the French C ...

until it was reconquered by the French during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Mbaiki received electricity in 1969. In 1995, the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbaïki The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbaïki () is a diocese in Mbaïki in the ecclesiastical province of Bangui in the Central African Republic. History * June 10, 1995: Established as Diocese of Mbaïki from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bangui L ...

was established in the city. As a consequence of the

Central African Republic conflict (2012–present) The Central African Republic Civil War is an ongoing civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) involving the successive governments, rebels from the former ' coalition, the Anti-balaka militias, and various foreign and international fo ...

, its previously large Muslim population has been emptied from the town.No one at the wheel: Foreign peacekeepers have yet to get a grip on a divided and chaotic country
economist.com.

Economy

The economy is based on the

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

industries.

References

Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic Populated places in Lobaye {{CentralAfricanRepublic-geo-stub

History

Economy

See also

References