Map of Chad | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: After enduring decades of civil warfare among ethnic groups as well as invasions by Libya, Chad got started toward a more stable state with the seizure of the government in early December 1990 by former northern guerrilla leader Idress DEBY. His transitional government eventually suppressed armed rebellion in all quarters of the country, settled the territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, produced a democratic constitution which was ratified by popular referendum in March 1996, held multiparty national presidential elections in June and July 1996 (DEBY won with 67% of the vote), and held multiparty elections to the National Assembly in January and February 1997, in which Idress DEBY's party, Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS, won a majority of the seats.


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Location: Central Africa, south of Libya

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 19 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1.284 million km²
Land: 1,259,200 km²
Water: 24,800 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 5,968 km
Border countries: (6) 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 175 m
Extremes highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m

Natural resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 36%
Forests and woodland: 26%
Other: 35% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 140 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues

Geography
Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel


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Population: 7,166,023 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.67% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chadian(s)
Adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba), non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa), nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,586,873; female 1,579,086)
15-64 years: 53% (male 1,854,645; female 1,931,519)
65 years and over: 3% (male 94,516; female 119,384) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.67% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 43.85 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 17.15 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 118.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 47.88 years
Male: 45.49 years
Female: 50.37 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.79 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write in French or Arabic
Total population: 48.1%
Male: 62.1%
Female: 34.7% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Chad
Conventional short form: Chad
Local long form: Republique du Tchad
Local short form: Tchad

Government type: republic

Capital: N'Djamena

Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture; Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile

Dependent areas

Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Constitution: 31 March 1995, passed by referendum

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister Djimasta KOIBLA (since 9 April 1995); appointed by the president
Cabinet: Council of State appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: the constitution provides for the election of a president by direct popular vote to serve a term of five years; 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 2 June and 11 July 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); the prime minister is appointed by the president
Election results: in the first round of voting none of the 15 candidates received the required 50% of the total vote; percent of vote, first round - Lt. Gen. Idress DEBY 47.8 %; percent of vote, second round - Lt. Gen. DEBY 69.1%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 30.9%; President DEBY reappointed Prime Minister Djimasta KOIBLA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (125 seats; members serve four-year terms); replaces the Higher Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de Transition
Elections: National Assembly - last held in two rounds on 5 January and 23 February 1997, (next to be held NA 2001); in the first round of voting on 5 January 1997 some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or more of the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring candidates stood for a second round of voting
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Saleh AHMAT
In the us chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-4,009
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David C. HALSTED
From the us embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena
From the us mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena
From the us telephone: [235] (51) 70-09, (51) 90-52, (51) 92-33
From the us FAX: [235] (51) 56-54

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flag of Andorra, which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Unfavorable climate, geographic remoteness, poor resource endowment, and lack of infrastructure make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is hobbled by political turmoil, drought, and food shortages. Consequently the economy has shown little progress in recent years in overcoming a severe setback brought on by civil war in the late 1980s. About 85% of the work force is involved in subsistence farming and fishing. Cotton is the major cash crop, accounting for at least half of exports. Chad is highly dependent on foreign aid, especially food credits, given chronic food shortages in several regions. Of all the Francophone countries in Africa, Chad has benefited the least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies on 12 January 1994. Despite an increase in external financial aid and price increases for cotton - the primary source of foreign exchange - the corrupt and enfeebled government bureaucracy continues to postpone payment of public sector salaries and to dampen economic enterprise by neglecting payments to domestic suppliers. The devaluation resulted in stepped-up inflation of 41% in 1994; inflation fell to 9% in 1995 but it remains high compared with other Francophone countries. In one favorable development, Chad in December 1996 concluded an agreement with ESSO/Chad (EXXON) for drilling and extracting petroleum at Doba. Oil will be piped through Cameroon for export.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (1995 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 48%
Industry: 18%
Services: 34% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca; cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Industries: cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 85% (subsistence farming, herding and fishing)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $136 million
Expenditures: $222 million, including capital expenditures of $107 million (1994 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $226 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: cotton, cattle, textiles, fish
Partners: Portugal 30%, Germany 18%, South Africa 16%, France 7%

Imports
Total value: $225 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; textiles; note - excludes military equipment
Partners: France 34%, Cameroon 24%, Nigeria 7%, US 6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $875 million (1995 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: CFA Francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948


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Electricity
Capacity: 40,000 kW (1991)
Production: 70 million kWh (1991)
Consumption per capita: 14 kWh (1991 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 5,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: primitive system
Domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $74 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 11.1% (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 46 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 15
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 10 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 31
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: 2,000 km navigable

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: demarcation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs