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Central Africa is a region of Africa on the eastern side of the continent.

Countries

Central Africa regions
  Angola
Former Portuguese colony which went through a brutal civil war. Now largely safe, but has been surprisingly slow to appear on the tourist radar
  Cameroon
Sometimes referred to as Africa in Miniature, the terrain includes rain forest, desert plains, mountains and high plateau.
  Central African Republic
Dense jungle in the south and semi arid in the Sahelian north, this very unstable country is very much off the radar for visitors.
  Democratic Republic of the Congo
Huge, blessed with incredible natural wealth and beauty, culturally diverse, and is extremely unstable and dangerous
  Equatorial Guinea
Perhaps one of the continent's most corrupt country, where massive oil wealth is confiscated by a thuggish government, is not a terribly safe place to travel, but it has great beaches, laid-back beach bars, and locals speak Spanish.
  Gabon
Has escaped the strife afflicting other Central African states; rich in oil and mineral reserves and a high biodiversity.
  Republic of the Congo
Huge tracts of forest with a small population mean great potential for eco-tourism, but the country is still to fully recover from a terrible war in the 1990s
  São Tomé and Príncipe
Tiny islands in the Gulf of Guinea
  South Sudan
The world's newest country, split off from warring neighbor Sudan in July 2011

Cities

View from Brazzaville to Kinshasa; across the Congo river is the only place in the world to see a national capital from another

Other destinations

Elephant with offspring in Loango National Park

Understand

Ramadan

Ramadan is the 9th and holiest month in the Islamic calendar and lasts 29–30 days. Muslims fast every day for its duration and most restaurants will be closed until the fast breaks at dusk. Nothing (including water and cigarettes) is supposed to pass through the lips from dawn to sunset. Non-Muslims are exempt from this, but should still refrain from eating or drinking in public as this is considered very impolite. Working hours are decreased as well in the corporate world. Exact dates of Ramadan depend on local astronomical observations and may vary somewhat from country to country. Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

  • 11 March – 9 April 2024 (1445 AH)
  • 1 March – 29 March 2025 (1446 AH)
  • 18 February – 19 March 2026 (1447 AH)
  • 8 February – 8 March 2027 (1448 AH)

If you're planning to travel to Central Africa during Ramadan, consider reading Travelling during Ramadan.

Talk

Get in

Get around

See

Wildlife

Animals such as Mandrills, Western Lowland Gorillas and African forest elephants.

Itineraries

Do

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

There are Islamist and jihadist groups with links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb that operate in Central Africa which include the Ansaru and the Seleka. Some of these jihadi groups cooperate and have targeted westerners and non-Muslims.

Go next

This region travel guide to Central Africa is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!