Bangui , or
Bangî in
Sango, formerly written
Bangi in English, is the
capital and largest city of the
Central African Republic. As of 2012 it had an estimated population of 734,350. It was established as a
French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the
Ubangi River ; the Ubangi itself was named from the
Bobangi word for the "rapids" located beside the settlement, which marked the end of navigable water north from
Brazzaville. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, in Bangui and the surrounding area.