Since the nineteenth century the area of the present-day Central African Republic is inhabited by Sudanese tribes, the Banda and the Baya. Before that the are appears to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by overlapping empires, including the Kanem-Bornu, Ouaddai, Baguirmi and Dafour groups based in Lake Chad and the Upper Nile. Later, various sultanates claim the region as a slave reservoir, from which slaves were traded north across the Sahara and to West Africa for export by the Europeans. In 1875 the Egyptian sultan Rabah governs Upper-Oubangui. Europeans, primarily the French, German and Belgians arrive in the area in 1885.

The French gets possession of the right bank of the Oubangui River in 1887 and form the territory of Upper-Ubangui, that becomes part of French Congo.Two years later, the French established an outpost at Bangui, and in 1894 Oubangui-Chari became a French territory. France consolidates its control over the territory in 1903 after having defeated the forces of Rabah and establishes colonial administration throughout the territory. In 1907 France establishes the seperate colony of Ubangui-Chari-Chad, this colony becomes in 1910 a constituent part of French Equatorial Africa. The territory is divided in 1920 into Ubangui-Chari and Chad. Ubangui-Chari becomes a French overseas territory in 1946 and when in 1958 French Equatorial Africa is dissolved, it gets autonomy as the Central African Republic. The first prime minister is Barthélémy Boganda of the Mouvement pour l'Évolution Sociale de l'Afrique Noire (Movement for Black Africa's Social Evolution, MESAN). He is succeeded after his death in 1959 shortly by Abel Goumba and later that year by David Dacko.

In 1960 the Central African Republic becomes an independent presidential democracy and Dacko is elected as first president. In 1962 he bans all other parties and his MESAN becomes the sole allowed party. Dacko is deposed by his nephew, Jean-Bedel Bokassa in 1965 and the country becomes a personal dictatorship. Bokassa abolishes the constitution of 1959 and places all legislative and executive powers in his hands. The MESAN is overtaken by Bokassa. He becomes president for life in 1972 and in 1976 he proclaims himself emperor and renames the country Central African Empire. After a new coup the country is renamed Central African Republic and David Dacko resumes office as president in 1980. His Union Démocratique Centrafricain becomes initially the sole allowed party, but the new constitution foresees a multi-party democracy. He wins the 1981 elections, but later that year he is ousted when the army under André Kolingba seizes power. Kolingba installs in 1986 a semi-civilian one-party state under the Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain (Central African Democratic Rally, RDC). Democracy is planned to be restored in 1991, but the 1992 elections are aborted by the government.

The country becomes a presidential parliamentary democracy, when new elections in 1993 lead to the defeat of Kolingba. Ange-Félix Patassé of the Mouvement pour la Libération du Puple Centrafricain (Central African People's Liberation Movement, MLPC) becomes president and his party becomes the largest parliamentary party. The MPLC wins the 1998 elections and Patassé is re-elected in 1999. In 2003 a new coup finishes the democracy. François Bozizé becomes president and new elections are promised to be held in 2004.