VAKAGA

northernmost prfecture of the Central African Republic, bordering Chad to the northwest and The Sudan to the northeast. Until the mid-1960s it was an autonomous sub-prefecture named for the town of Birao, the prefectural seat. The northern part of Vakaga, around Birao, with an average temperature of 80 F (27 C), has a far drier climate than the rest of the country. Rainfall, averaging 34.5 in. (876 mm) per year, falls almost exclusively in the months from May to September. The land rises from 1,529 ft (465 m) at Birao to more than 4,000 ft on the Sudanese border, reaching 4,462 ft at Mt. Ngaya and 4,422 ft at Mt. Tinga. Vakaga is sparsely inhabited. Sorghum is the staple grain crop. Ground transport is poorthe road between Birao and Ouanda Djall, the two main towns, is open only seasonallybut both Birao and Ouanda Djall have air connections with Bangui. Two major game reserves, Andr Flix National Park in the east and Saint-Floris National Park in the west, are noted for their antelope, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, lions, panthers, and other large mammals. The area of Vakaga is 17,934 sq mi (46,450 sq km). Pop. (1975) 21,391.