Map of Chad | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background: Chad emerged from a collection of powerful states that controlled the Sahelian belt starting around the 9^th century. These states focused on controlling trans-Saharan trade routes and profited mostly from the slave trade. The Kanem-Bornu Empire, centered around the Lake Chad Basin, existed between the 9^th and 19^th centuries, and during its peak, the empire controlled territory stretching from southern Chad to southern Libya and included portions of modern-day Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Sudan. The Sudanese warlord Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR used an army comprised largely of slaves to conquer the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the late 19^th century. In southeastern Chad, the Bagirmi and Ouaddai (Wadai) kingdoms emerged in the 15^th and 16^th centuries and lasted until the arrival of the French in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. France began moving into the region in the late 1880s and defeated the Bagirmi kingdom in 1897, Rabih AZ-ZUBAYR in 1900, and the Ouddai kingdom in 1909. In the arid regions of northern Chad and southern Libya, an Islamic order called the Sanusiyya (Sanusi) relied heavily on the trans-Saharan slave trade and had upwards of 3 million followers by the 1880s. The French arrived in the region in the early 1900s and defeated the Sanusiyya in 1910 after years of intermittent war. By 1910, France had incorporated the northern arid region, the Lake Chad Basin, and southeastern Chad into French Equatorial Africa.  


top of page


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: almost nine times the size of New York state; slightly more than three times the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 6,406 km
Border countries: (6) Cameroon 1,116 km; Central African Republic 1,556 km; Libya 1,050 km; Niger 1,196 km; Nigeria 85 km; Sudan 1,403 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
Highest point: Emi Koussi 3,445 m
Lowest point: Djourab 160 m
Mean elevation: 543 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 39.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 9.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 51.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 300 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²:

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 670 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 45.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

Geography
Note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries
Note 2: not long ago - geologically speaking - what is today the Sahara was green savannah teeming with wildlife; during the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, a vibrant animal community, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope lived there; the last remnant of the "Green Sahara" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga (oo-nee-ahn-ga) in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes now protected as a World Heritage site
Note 3: Lake Chad, the most significant water body in the Sahel, is a remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad; at its greatest extent, sometime before 5,000 B.C., Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes that existed during the African Humid Period; it covered an area of about 400,000 km² (150,000 sq mi), roughly the size of today's Caspian Sea


top of page


Population
Distribution: the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this: 18,523,165 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 3.05% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 42.3% (2018 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chadian(s)
Adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: Sara (Ngambaye/Sara/Madjingaye/Mbaye) 30.5%, Kanembu/Bornu/Buduma 9.8%, Arab 9.7%, Wadai/Maba/Masalit/Mimi 7%, Gorane 5.8%, Masa/Musseye/Musgum 4.9%, Bulala/Medogo/Kuka 3.7%, Marba/Lele/Mesme 3.5%, Mundang 2.7%, Bidiyo/Migaama/Kenga/Dangleat 2.5%, Dadjo/Kibet/Muro 2.4%, Tupuri/Kera 2%, Gabri/Kabalaye/Nanchere/Somrai 2%, Fulani/Fulbe/Bodore 1.8%, Karo/Zime/Peve 1.3%, Baguirmi/Barma 1.2%, Zaghawa/Bideyat/Kobe 1.1%, Tama/Assongori/Mararit 1.1%, Mesmedje/Massalat/Kadjakse 0.8%, other Chadian ethnicities 3.4%, Chadians of foreign ethnicities 0.9%, foreign nationals 0.3%, unspecified 1.7% (2014-15 est.)

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Major-language samples:

Religions: Muslim 52.1%, Protestant 23.9%, Roman Catholic 20%, animist 0.3%, other Christian 0.2%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2014-15 est.)

Demographic profile: Despite the start of oil production in 2003, around 40% of Chad’s population lived below the poverty line as of 2018. The population will continue to grow rapidly because of the country’s very high fertility rate and large youth cohort - more than 65% of the populace is under the age of 25 as of 2022 - although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Chad has the world’s second highest maternal mortality rate as of 2017. Among the primary risk factors are poverty, anemia, rural habitation, high fertility, poor education, and a lack of access to family planning and obstetric care. Impoverished, uneducated adolescents living in rural areas are most affected. To improve women’s reproductive health and reduce fertility, Chad will need to increase women’s educational attainment, job participation, and knowledge of and access to family planning. Less than a quarter of women are literate, less than 10% use contraceptives, and more than 40% undergo genital cutting.

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.24% (male 4,334,264/female 4,231,658)
15-64 years: 51.27% (male 4,646,510/female 4,849,878)
65 years and over: 2.49% (2023 est.) (male 197,450/female 263,405)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 98.7
Youth dependency ratio: 94.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 4
Potential support ratio: 24.9 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 16.1 years
Female: 17 years

Population growth rate: 3.05% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 39.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this

Urbanization
Urban population: 24.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.592 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices contribute to soil and water pollution; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 41.15 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.02 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 30.69 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 18.1 years (2014/15 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 1,063 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 69.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 58.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.6 years (2023 est.)
Male: 57.7 years
Female: 61.5 years

Total fertility rate: 5.35 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 8.1% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 90.2% of population
Improved rural: 51.9% of population
Improved total: 60.9% of population
Unimproved urban: 9.8% of population
Unimproved rural: 48.1% of population
Unimproved total: 39.1% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
Note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Chad is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 8.3% (2020 est.)
Male: 13.8% (2020 est.)
Female: 2.7% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.9% (2022)

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
Total population: 26.8%
Male: 35.4%
Female: 18.2% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 7 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 6 years (2015)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 2.4% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 1.4%


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
Etymology: named for Lake Chad, which lies along the country's western border; the word "tsade" means "large body of water" or "lake" in several local native languages
Note: the only country whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel

Government type: presidential 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)
Etymology: name taken from the Arab name of a nearby village, Nijamina, meaning "place of rest"

Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Barh-El-Gazel, Batha, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi, Ennedi-Est, Ennedi-Ouest, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi-Est, Mayo-Kebbi-Ouest, Moyen-Chari, N'Djamena, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Wadi-Fira

Dependent areas

Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted by National Transitional Council 27 June 2023, approved by referendum 17 December, verified by Chad Supreme Court 28 December, promulgated 1 January 2024
Amendments: previous process: proposed as a revision by the president of the republic after a Council of Ministers (cabinet) decision or by the National Assembly; approval for consideration of a revision requires at least three-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires approval by referendum or at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Chad
Dual citizenship recognized: Chadian law does not address dual citizenship
Residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY (since 20 April 2021); note - on 20 April 2021, newly reelected President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country; following his death, Mahamat Idriss DEBY took control of the country and dismissed the Chadian parliament, establishing a Transitional Military Council and promising elections within 18 months
Head of government: Interim Prime Minister Succès MASRA (since 2 January 2024)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 11 April 2021; note - on 20 April 2021, military officials suspended the constitution and formed a Transitional Military Council, pledging to hold democratic elections in October 2022
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: formerly a unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (188 seats; 163 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 25 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - on 5 October 2021, Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY installed 93 members of an interim parliament, called the National Transitional Council (NTC), replacing the National Assembly which was disbanded after he took control of the country on 20 April 2021; according to DEBY, the NTC will act as a national assembly of transition until the country’s next elections take place
Elections: members of the so called "National Transitional Council" were installed by Interim President DEBY on 5 October 2021 (next parliamentary elections to be held September 2022)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 64, women 29, percent of women 31.2%
Note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice selected by the president; councilors - 8 designated by the president and 7 by the speaker of the National Assembly; chief justice and councilors appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges - 2 appointed by the president and 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly; jurists - 3 each by the president and by the speaker of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms
Subordinate courts: High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders:
Note: on 5 October 2021, Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY appointed 93 members to the interim National Transitional Council (NTC); 30% of the NTC members were retained from parties previously represented in the National Assembly

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador KITOKO GATA Ngoulou (since 30 June 2023)
In the us chancery: 2,401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 652-1312
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 578-0431
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander LASKARIS (since 18 August 2022)
From the us embassy: Rond-Point Chagoua, B.P. 413, N’Djamena
From the us mailing address: 2,410 N'Djamena Place, Washington DC 20,521-2,410
From the us telephone: [235] 2,251-5,017
From the us FAX: [235] 2,253-9,102
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and red; the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow (gold) of the Pan-African colors; blue symbolizes the sky, hope, and the south of the country, which is relatively well-watered; gold represents the sun, as well as the desert in the north of the country; red stands for progress, unity, and sacrifice
Note: almost identical to the flag of Romania but with a darker shade of blue; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design based on the flag of France

National symbols: goat (north), lion (south); national colors: blue, yellow, red

National anthem
Name: "La Tchadienne" (The Chadian)
Lyrics/music: Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD
Note: adopted 1960

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


top of page


Economy overview: primarily oil-based economy, vulnerable to regional competition and international price shocks; increasing extreme poverty and minimal human capital capacities; one of the most environmentally disrupted economies; high maternal and infant mortality rates destabilizing labor force potentials

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 75.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 4.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 35.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -39.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 52.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 14.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 33.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sorghum, groundnuts, millet, yams, cereals, sugar cane, beef, maize, cotton, cassava

Industries: oil, cotton textiles, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 0.3% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 5.246 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 2.4% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 1.4%

Population below poverty line: 42.3% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 37.5 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.6%
Highest 10%: 30.8% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.29 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $2.12 billion (2020 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 3.81% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

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:
Note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Partners: China 32%, United Arab Emirates 21%, India 19%, United States 10%, France 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, gold, sesame seeds, gum arabic, silver (2021)

Imports:
Partners: China 29%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 10%, United States 8%, India 5% (2019)
Commodities: delivery trucks, paints, packaged medicines, aircraft, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access population without electricity: 15 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 11.2% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 43.2% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 1.3% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 87,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 188.46 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 111 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 96.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 3.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 87,900 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 12,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 116,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 1.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 2,285 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.771 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.771 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 1.575 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 5,250 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station; 2 privately-owned TV stations; state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations; over 10 private radio stations; some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2017)

Internet
Country code: .td
Users total: 3.06 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 18% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2020 est.)


top of page


Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT): Land Forces (l'Armee de Terre, AdT), Chadian Air Force (l'Armee de l'Air Tchadienne, AAT), General Direction of the Security Services of State Institutions (Direction Generale des Services de Securite des Institutions de l'Etat, GDSSIE); National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Public Security and Immigration: National Nomadic Guard of Chad (GNNT) (2023)
Note 1: the GDSSIE, formerly known as the Republican Guard, is the presidential guard force and is considered to be Chad's elite military unit; it is reportedly a division-sized force with infantry, armor, and special forces/anti-terrorism regiments (known as the Special Anti-Terrorist Group or SATG, aka Division of Special Anti-Terrorist Groups or DGSAT)
Note 2: the Chadian National Police are under the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration; border security duties are shared by the Army, Customs (Ministry of Public Security and Immigration), the Gendarmerie, and the GNNT

Military service age and obligation: 20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service for men with an 18-36 month service obligation (information varies); women are subject to 12 months of compulsory military or civic service at age 21; 18-35 for voluntary service; soldiers released from active duty are in the reserves until the age of 50 (2023)

Space program

Terrorist groups
Terrorist groups: Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - West Africa (ISIS-WA)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in terrorist organizations


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TT

Airports: 59 (2021)
With paved runways: 9
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 50
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines: 582 km oil (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 40,000 km (2018)
Note: consists of 25,000 km of national and regional roads and 15,000 km of local roads; 206 km of urban roads are paved

Waterways: 12,400 km (2022) (Chari and Logone Rivers are navigable only in wet season) Chari is 11,400 km Legone is 1,000 km

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: over 100,000 refugees have fled the 2023 conflict in Sudan to Chad, adding to the 600,000 mostly Sudanese refugees already in Chad after fleeing previous conflicts, especially in the Darfur region; Chad and Sudan share the same ethnic groups along both sides of their common 1,400-km-long border; in 2010, relations with Sudan were normalized, and the two countries established a joint border monitoring force, 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
Refugees country of origin: 418,187 (Sudan) (includes refugees since 15 April 2023), 128,619 (Central African Republic), 26,692 (Cameroon), 21,178 (Nigeria) (2023)
IDPs: 215,918 (majority are in the east) (2023)

Illicit drugs: NA