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This page was last updated on 19 June 2008
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| Introduction | Chad | Top of Page

Background: | Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which has sporadically flared up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005, new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and made probing attacks into eastern Chad, despite signing peace agreements in December 2006 and October 2007. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits and won another controversial election in 2006. Sporadic rebel campaigns continued throughout 2006 and 2007, and the capital experienced a significant rebel threat in early 2008.

| Geography | Chad | Top of Page

Location: | Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries: | total: 5,968 km border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked)
Climate: | tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain: | broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Natural resources: | petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Land use: | arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: | 43 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 0.23 cu km/yr (17%/0%/83%) per capita: 24 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Environment - current issues: | inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note: | landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel

| People | Chad | Top of Page

Population: | 10,111,337 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 47% (male 2,408,638/female 2,346,984) 15-64 years: 50.1% (male 2,317,406/female 2,746,104) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 123,561/female 168,644) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 16.4 years male: 15.2 years female: 17.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.195% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 41.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 16.39 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | -3.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 100.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 106.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 94 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 47.43 years male: 46.4 years female: 48.5 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 5.43 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 4.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 200,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 18,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)
Nationality: | noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian
Ethnic groups: | Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3% (1993 census)
Religions: | Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)
Languages: | French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic total population: 25.7% male: 40.8% female: 12.8% (2006 est.)

| Government | Chad | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Chad conventional short form: Chad local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad local short form: Tchad/Tshad
Government type: | republic
Capital: | name: N'Djamena geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 15 02 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: | 18 regions (regions, singular - region); Batha, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi Est, Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile, Ville de N'Djamena, Wadi Fira
Independence: | 11 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Constitution: | passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed constitutional term limits
Legal system: | based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno (since 4 December 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Youssof Saleh ABBAS (since 16 April 2008) cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second round of voting; last held 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%, Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection
Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the 1996 constitution called for a Senate that has never been formed elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held by 2009); note - legislative elections, originally scheduled for 2006, were first delayed by National Assembly action and subsequently by an accord, signed in August 2007, between government and opposition parties election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, UNDR 5, URD 3, other 11
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders: | Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-4009 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Louis NIGRO embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena telephone: [235] 251-62-11, [235] 251-70-09, [235] 251-77-59 FAX: [235] 251-56-54
Flag description: | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red note: similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France

| Economy | Chad | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. At least 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion barrels - in southern Chad. Chinese companies are also expanding exploration efforts and plan to build a refinery. The nation's total oil reserves have been estimated to be 1.5 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $15.9 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $7.095 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 0.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $1,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 21.5% industry: 47.8% services: 30.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force: | 3.747 million (2006)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) industry and services: 20% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | 80% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | -8.8% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 11.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $1.864 billion expenditures: $1.749 billion (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products: | cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Industries: | oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: | 2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production: | 95 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption: | 88.35 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 176,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1,350 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 170,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: | 1,316 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves: | 1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | -$302 million (2007 est.)
Exports: | $4.198 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities: | oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic
Exports - partners: | US 80.6%, China 10.4%, South Korea 2.3% (2006)
Imports: | $1.158 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners: | France 18.6%, Cameroon 17.6%, US 12.5%, Germany 7.3%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Belgium 4.9% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | ODA, $379.8 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $997.3 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external: | $1.6 billion (2005 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $4.5 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA
Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 480.1 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Chad | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 13,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 466,100 (2006)
Telephone system: | general assessment: primitive system with high costs and low telephone density domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2001)
Internet country code: | .td
Internet hosts: | 72 (2007)
Internet users: | 60,000 (2006)

| Transportation | Chad | Top of Page

Airports: | 55 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 7 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 48 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 11 (2007)
Pipelines: | oil 250 km (2007)
Roadways: | total: 33,400 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 33,133 km (2000)
Waterways: | Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2006)

| Military | Chad | Top of Page

Military branches: | Armed Forces: Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT), Chadian Air Force (Force Aerienne Tchadienne, FAT), Gendarmerie (2008)
Military service age and obligation: | 20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,906,545 females age 16-49: 2,258,758 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,066,565 females age 16-49: 1,279,318 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | males age 16-49: 116,824 females age 16-49: 117,831 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 4.2% (2006)

| Transnational Issues | Chad | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 234,000 (Sudan); 54,200 (Central African Republic) IDPs: 178,918 (2007)
Trafficking in persons: | current situation: tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - (2008)

This page was last updated on 19 June 2008