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

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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. 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. The capital experienced a significant rebel threat in early 2008 but has had no significant rebel threats since then in part due to Chad's 2010 rapprochement with Sudan which previously used Chadian rebels as proxies. DEBY in 2011 was reelected to his fourth term in an election that international observers described as proceeding without incident. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority.


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Location: Central Africa south of Libya

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 19 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 21
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of California

Land boundaries

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

Natural resources: petroleum uranium natron kaolin fish (Lake Chad) gold limestone sand and gravel salt

Land use

Irrigated land: 300 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 43 km³ (1987)

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: 10,975,648 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 75
Growth rate: 1.98% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 56
Below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Nationality

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)

Languages: French (official) Arabic (official) Sara (in south) more than 120 different languages and dialects

Religions: Muslim 53.1% Catholic 20.1% Protestant 14.2% animist 7.3% other 0.5% unknown 1.7% atheist 3.1% (1993 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.98% (2012 est.)
Rank: 56

Birth rate: 38.7 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 14

Death rate: 15.16 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 4

Net migration rate: -3.74 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 187

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

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 6

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 222

Total fertility rate: 4.93 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.04 physicians/1000 population (2004)

Hospital bed density: 0.43 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.4% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 20
People living with hivaids: 210,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 26
Deaths: 11,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 24

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 33.9% (2004)
Rank: 12

Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 124

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions singular - region); Barh el Gazel Batha Borkou Chari-Baguirmi Ennedi Guera Hadjer-Lamis Kanem Lac Logone Occidental Logone Oriental Mandoul Mayo-Kebbi Est Mayo-Kebbi Ouest Moyen-Chari Ouaddai Salamat Sila Tandjile Tibesti Ville de N'Djamena Wadi Fira

Dependent areas

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: mixed legal system of civil and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (188 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Council; High Court of Justice; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Renaissance of Chad or ART an alliance among the ruling MPS RDP and Viva-RNDP; Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-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]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU BDEAC CEMAC EITI (candidate country) FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side) yellow and red; the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow of the Pan-African colors; blue symbolizes the sky hope and the south of the country which is relatively well-watered; yellow represents the sun as well as the desert in the north of the country; red stands for progress unity and sacrifice

National symbols: goat (north); lion (south)

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Remittances are also an important source of income. The Libyan conflict disrupted inflows of remittances to Chad's impoverished western region that relies on income from Chadians living in Libya. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1.5 billion barrels - in southern Chad. Chinese companies are also expanding exploration efforts and have completed a 311-km pipeline and the country's first refinery. The nation's total oil reserves are estimated at 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 129

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 23

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 192

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2010 est.)
Rank: 100

Labor force: 4.293 million (2007)
Rank: 87

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -5.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 162

Taxes and other revenues: 29.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 103

Public debt: 43.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 98

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 138

Central bank discount rate: 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 77

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of narrow money: $1.235 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 138

Stock of broad money: $1.335 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 156

Stock of domestic credit: $553.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 165

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$2.386 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 137

Exports: $4.974 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 115
Commodities: oil cattle cotton gum arabic
Partners: US 83.2% China 6.8% France 5.6% (2011)

Imports: $4.054 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 138
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment industrial goods foodstuffs textiles
Partners: Cameroon 17% France 15.8% China 10.8% Finland 6.6% Sweden 6% Saudi Arabia 5% Belgium 4.4% US 4% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $968.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 142

Debt external: $1.769 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 143

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 95 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 199
Consumption: 88.35 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 198
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 174
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 168
Installed generating capacity: 31,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 191
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 11
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 61
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 163
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 118

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 123,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 46
Crude oil exports: 115,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 36
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 168
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 37

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 132
Products consumption: 1817 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 191
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 162
Products imports: 1754 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 182

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 111
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 128
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 172
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 172
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 121

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 290,900 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 190

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 31,200 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 175
Mobile cellular: 3.666 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 119

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio network Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT) operates national and regional stations; about 10 private radio stations; some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2007)

Internet
Country code: .td
Hosts: 6 (2012)
Hosts rank: 231
Users: 168,100 (2009)
Users rank: 145

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 87

Military and security forces

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 parent or guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 58 (2012)
Rank: 83

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 265 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 88

Waterways: (Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season) (2012)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: since 2003 ad hoc armed militia groups and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad wishes to be a helpful mediator in resolving the Darfur conflict and in 2010 established a joint border monitoring force with Sudan which has helped to reduce cross-border banditry and violence; 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

Illicit drugs