Bangui, << bahng GEE >> (pop. 531,763), is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. Bangui lies in the southwestern part of the country, on the Ubangi River.
Bangui is the commercial center of the Central African Republic. Most of the country’s exports are shipped from the city’s port on the Ubangi. Bangui’s business district has many new apartment and office buildings. People live in both modern houses and traditional adobe or straw houses.
Bangui was founded by the French in 1889. The city became part of the newly established French territory of Ubangi-Shari in 1894. In 1958, the territory achieved limited self-government and was named the Central African Republic. The republic gained full independence from France in 1960.
