KARRE MOUNTAINS

French Monts Karre, mountain range, western Central African Republic. The range rises to 4,659 feet (1,420 m) at Mount Gaou, the highest point in the nation. The granite hills, split by southwest-northeast fractures, extend westward across the border into Cameroon. Their southward and eastward spurs are marked by great round boulders. The range forms part of the watershed between the Congo River system to the south and the Lake Chad basin to the north. Noteworthy falls include the Lancrenon waterfall on the Ngou River near Bocaranga. Rainfall of nearly 60 inches (1,500 mm) per year supports livestock grazing, and cotton is grown in the northern foothills. Bouar, Bouala, and Bocaranga are the major towns.