the capital city of the Central African Republic, on the Ubangi River. City (pop., 1995: 553,000), capital of the Central African Republic. A major port on the Ubangi River, it is connected by an extended 1,100-mi (1,800-km) river and rail transport system with the Congolese cities of Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. Chiefly a commercial and administrative centre, Bangui is also the site of a university and research institutes