Bangui, estimated population 560,000 (1994), is the capital of the Central African Republic. The city is located on the Ubangi River, at a series of rapids that limit major commercial shipping farther upriver. The Ubangi river marks the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC town of Zongo lies directly across from Bangui.
Bangui's manufactures include textiles, food products, beer, shoes, and soap. The main exports are cotton, timber, coffee, and sisal. The city was founded in 1889. The University of Bangui is located there.
In October 1985, a conference of public health officials including representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organisation met in Bangui and defined AIDS in Africa as, "prolonged fevers for a month or more, weight loss of over 10% and prolonged diarrhoea". About half the AIDS cases in Africa based on the Bangui definition are HIV positive.
