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Bouar

Coordinates:5°57′N15°36′E/ 5.950°N 15.600°E/5.950; 15.600
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Bouar
Buar[1]
Bouar
Bouar
Bouar is located in Central African Republic
Bouar
Bouar
Location in Central African Republic
Coordinates:5°57′N15°36′E/ 5.950°N 15.600°E/5.950; 15.600
CountryCentral African Republic
PrefectureNana-Mambéré
Government
• Sub-prefectJean Michel Bouaka[2]
• MayorDieu-Beni Massina[3]
Elevation
1,046 m (3,432 ft)
Population
(2012)[4]
• Total39,205

Bouaris amarket townin the westernCentral African Republic,lying on the main road fromBangui(437 km) to the frontier withCameroon(210 km). The city is the capital ofNana-Mambéréprefecture, has a population of 40,353, while the whole sous-préfecture has a population of 96,595 (2003 census). Bouar lies on aplateaualmost 1000m abovesea leveland is known as the site of Camp Leclerc, aFrenchmilitary base.

About seventy groups ofmegalithslie in the town and to its north and east. The Bouar Megaliths, dating back to the very lateNeolithic Era(c. 3500–2700 BC) were added to theUNESCO World HeritageTentative List on April 11, 2006 in the Cultural category.[5]

The town's name comes from the Gbaya word forbean,hbouar.[6]

History[edit]

Hundreds of granite megaliths around Bouar were erected during theLate Stone Ageby an ancient farming society. These stone megaliths are nowadays known astanzunuin Gbaya.[7]

TheGbaya peoplesettled in the region around the 1500s.[7]The settlement of Bouar itself was founded circa 1840 by chief Bogbafeï on the site of a bean field. His grandson, Mbarta, served as the chief between 1904 and 1916 and nowadays is remembered as a local hero.[6][8]

In 1882,Franceinvaded Central Africa and 1894, the borders ofFrench Congoencompassed Bouar. In 1911, the area around Bouar was ceded by France toGermanyunder the terms of theMorocco-Congo Treaty,becoming part of the German colony ofNeukamerununtil it was reconquered by the French duringWorld War I.[9]The Germans eventually settled in the town around Christmas of 1913, where they constructed a military post and a road.[6]In 1928, the town became part of the French colony ofUbangi-Shari.

The colonial town centre was occupied and burned down in the late 1920s byGbayarebels during theKongo-Wara rebellion.This was the most significant period in which the Gbaya population and others resisted French colonial rule in Ubangi-Shari.

In 1948, the administrative centre ofOuham-Pendéprefecture was moved fromBozoumto Bouar. Later, the western part of the prefecture would becomeNana-Mambéréprefecture with Bouar as its capital, whileBozoumwould become the capital of the remaining Ouham-Pendé prefecture.[6]Electricity was installed in Bouar in 1952.[10]In 1960 the colony became independent as theCentral African Republic.

  • The ancient stone megaliths of Bouar depicted on a 1967 stamp.
    The ancient stone megaliths of Bouar depicted on a 1967 stamp.
  • A portrait of chief Mbarta as a "Hero of Bouar" in the town's museum.
    A portrait of chief Mbarta as a "Hero of Bouar" in the town'smuseum.
  • A view of Bouar in 2015.
    A view of Bouar in 2015.
  • Children celebrating International Women's Day in 2016.
    Children celebratingInternational Women's Dayin 2016.

Civil war[edit]

On 28 March 2013 Bouar was captured bySélékarebels.[11]On 26 October 2013 Bouar was attacked and captured by Anti-balaka militias resulting in more than 20 deaths.[12]As of February 2014 the town and region around Bouar were experiencingethnic cleansing,principally againstMuslimcivilians.[13]A French journalist,Camille Lepage,was also killed and her body found in the car ofAnti-balakatroops in the Bouar region in May, 2014.[14][15]

On 18 September 2017 city was recaptured byFACAfrom Anti-balaka.[16]On 20 December 2020 parts of city were captured by rebels fromCoalition of Patriots for Change.[17]On 27 December entire city was captured by rebels.[18]After many clashes it was recaptured by government forces on 8 February 2021.[19]

Places of worship[edit]

The Evangelical Baptist Church in Bouar.

Among theplaces of worship,they are predominantlyChristianchurches and temples:Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic(Lutheran World Federation),Evangelical Baptist Church of the Central African Republic(Baptist World Alliance),Roman Catholic Diocese of Bouar(Catholic Church).[20]There are alsoMuslimmosques.

Climate[edit]

Köppen-Geiger climate classification systemclassifies Bouar’s climate astropical wet and dry(Aw).[21]

Climate data for Bouar (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.4
(88.5) 		32.6
(90.7) 		31.9
(89.4) 		30.1
(86.2) 		28.3
(82.9) 		27.2
(81.0) 		26.2
(79.2) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.0
(80.6) 		27.8
(82.0) 		29.9
(85.8) 		30.7
(87.3) 		29.1
(84.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.4
(75.9) 		26.0
(78.8) 		26.3
(79.3) 		24.9
(76.8) 		23.8
(74.8) 		22.8
(73.0) 		22.2
(72.0) 		22.1
(71.8) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.9
(73.2) 		24.0
(75.2) 		24.5
(76.1) 		23.9
(75.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 17.8
(64.0) 		19.4
(66.9) 		20.3
(68.5) 		19.9
(67.8) 		19.3
(66.7) 		18.8
(65.8) 		18.4
(65.1) 		18.4
(65.1) 		18.3
(64.9) 		18.5
(65.3) 		18.5
(65.3) 		17.9
(64.2) 		18.8
(65.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 1.9
(0.07) 		13.0
(0.51) 		43.5
(1.71) 		109.9
(4.33) 		144.2
(5.68) 		165.2
(6.50) 		223.5
(8.80) 		277.5
(10.93) 		266.4
(10.49) 		196.1
(7.72) 		18.3
(0.72) 		2.1
(0.08) 		1,461.7
(57.55)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 0.1 1.5 4.9 9.2 12.0 13.0 16.4 18.0 18.2 15.0 2.0 0.3 110.7
Averagerelative humidity(%)(daily average) 34.4 39.6 57.0 71.6 77.8 80.8 82.4 82.9 80.4 77.5 61.7 41.1 65.6
Source:NOAA[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Buar (Variant)atGEOnet Names Server,United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  2. ^Oubangui Medias, Oubangui Medias."Centrafrique: Décrets portant nomination des Gouverneurs, des Préfets et des Sous-Préfets".oubanguimedias.com.Oubangui Medias.Retrieved5 June2024.
  3. ^Ndeke Luka, Ndeke Luka."Face à l'insalubrité dans la ville de Bouar, Dieu-Beni Massina lance des initiatives".radiondekeluka.org.Radio Ndeke Luka.Retrieved14 August2023.
  4. ^"World Gazetteer".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-11.
  5. ^Les mégalithes de Bouar - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  6. ^abcdDegras, Alain (2012).Akotara: Un triptyque consacré aux Gbayas du Nord-Ouest Centrafricain(PDF)(in French). Bouar:Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.pp. 20, 62. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 21 July 2022.
  7. ^abDavid, Nicholas (1982). "Tazunu: Megalithic Monuments of Central Africa".Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa.17(1): 43–77.doi:10.1080/00672708209511299.
  8. ^"Marie-Noëlle Koyara célèbre la fête de noël en différé avec les enfants de Bouar"(in French). Agence Centrafricaine de Presse. 31 December 2019.Retrieved21 July2022.
  9. ^Bradshaw, Richard; Fandos-Rius, Juan (2016).Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic(New ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 137.ISBN9780810879911.
  10. ^Rius, Juan Fandos; Bradshaw, Richard (2016).Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic.Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 251.ISBN9780810879928.
  11. ^"Central African Republic Situation Report No. 9 (as of 28 March 2013)".28 March 2013.
  12. ^"Pillay Warns Violence In Central African Republic May Spin Out Of Control".8 November 2013.
  13. ^MSF, Trapped By Violence in Bouar, Central African Republic, (video) February 2014,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfQuJnpVZvE
  14. ^Camerpost, Centrafrique: une journaliste française « assassinée » dans la région de Bouar – 13/05/2014,http://www.camerpost.com/centrafrique-une-journaliste-francaise-assassinee-dans-la-region-de-bouar-13052014/Archived2014-06-06 at theWayback Machine
  15. ^Paris confirms French journalist murdered in CAR, DW, Date 13.05.2014,http://www.dw.de/paris-confirms-french-journalist-murdered-in-car/a-17633357
  16. ^"Centrafrique: panique à Bouar, les Faca font des tirs".19 September 2017.
  17. ^"RCA: Bouar, la barrière de Yolé occupée par les rebelles".20 December 2020.
  18. ^"RCA: la ville de Bouar, tombée aux mains des rebelles le jour de vote, est toujours sous le choc".30 December 2020.
  19. ^"RCA: Bouar, la ville est désormais sans rebelles".8 February 2021.
  20. ^J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 531-532
  21. ^"Climate: Bouar - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table".Climate-Data.org.Retrieved9 October2013.
  22. ^"Bouar Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2023.Retrieved26 September2023.

5°57′N15°36′E/ 5.950°N 15.600°E/5.950; 15.600

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