Background: Chad part of France's African holdings until 1960 endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad drafted a democratic constitution and held multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections in 1996 and 1997 respectively. In 1998 a new rebellion broke out in northern Chad which continued to escalate throughout 2000. A peace agreement signed in January 2002 between the government and the rebels provides for the demobilization of the rebels and their reintegration into the political system. Despite movement toward democratic reform power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic oligarchy.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 19 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1.284 million km²
Water: 24,800 km²
Land: 1,259,200 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 160 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: 2.78%
Permanent crops: 0.02%
Other: 97.2% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 8,997,237 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 3.27% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chadian
Adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: 200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs Gorane (Toubou Daza Kreda) Zaghawa Kanembou Ouaddai Baguirmi Hadjerai Fulbe Kotoko Hausa Boulala and Maba most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye Mbaye Goulaye) Moundang Moussei Massa most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1000 French citizens live in Chad

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

Religions: Muslim 51% Christian 35% animist 7% other 7%

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.8% (male 2,162,732; female 2,135,354)
15-64 years: 49.4% (male 2,108,134; female 2,340,189)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 103,683; female 147,145) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.27% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 47.74 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 15.06 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 93.46 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.27 years
Female: 53.4 years (2002 est.)
Male: 49.22 years

Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 5%-7% (2001)
People living with hivaids: 300,000 (2001)
Deaths: 14,000 (confirmed AIDS cases actual number far higher but difficult to estimate) (2001)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
Total population: 40%
Male: 49%
Female: 31% (1998)

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
Note: instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department), and 1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera, Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam, N'djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile Occidental, Tibesti

Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 11 August (1960)

Constitution: passed by referendum 31 March 1996

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 (since 4 December 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister Haroun KABADI (since 12 June 2002)
Cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 63%, Ngarlegy YORONGAR 16%, Saleh KEBZABO 7%
Note: government coalition - MPS, UNDR, and URD
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 20 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, others 11
Elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held in NA April 2006)

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

Political parties and leaders: Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarlejy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Mamadou BISSO]; National Union for Development and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; National Union for Renewal and Democracy or UNRD [leader NA]; Party for Liberty and Democracy or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT chairman] (originally in opposition but now the party in power and the party of the president); Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lal Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Democracy and the Republic or UDR [Jean Bawoyeu ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]; Viva Rally for Development and Progress or Viva RNDP [Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE
In the us chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us fax: [1] (202) 265-1937
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 462-4,009
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher E. GOLDTHWAIT
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
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 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 overview: Chad's primarily agricultural economy will be boosted by major oilfield and pipeline projects that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and stock raising for their livelihood. Cotton cattle and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's export earnings but Chad will begin to export oil in 2004. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its land-locked 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 is investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves estimated at 1 billion barrels in southern Chad.

Real gdp growth rate: 8% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1030 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 38%
Industry: 13%
Services: 49% (2001 est.)

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

Industries: cotton textiles meatpacking beer brewing natron (sodium carbonate) soap cigarettes construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995)

Labor force: NA
By occupation: agriculture more than 80% (subsistence farming herding and fishing)

Unemployment rate: NA%

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $198 million
Expenditures: $218 million, including capital expenditures of $146 million

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2000 est.)

Exports: $172 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Commodities: cotton cattle gum arabic
Partners: Portugal 38% Germany 12% Thailand Costa Rica South Africa France Nigeria (2001)

Imports: $223 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment industrial goods petroleum products foodstuffs textiles
Partners: France 40% Cameroon 13% Nigeria 12% India 5% (1999)

Debt external: $1.1 billion (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002) 733.04 (2001) 711.98 (2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999 the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

Electricity
Production: 92 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 85.56 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 9,700 (1999)
Mobile cellular: 5,500 (2000)

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

Internet
Country code: .td
Service providers isps: 1 (2002)
Users: 4,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $31 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (FY01)

Airports: 49 (2001)
With paved runways total: 7
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 43
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 20
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: 2000 km

Disputes international: Lake Chad Commission urges signatories Cameroon Chad Niger and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region the site of continuing armed clashes; Nigeria requests and Chad rejects redemarcation of boundary which lacks clear demarcation in sections and has caused several cross-border incidents; Chadian rebels from Aozou reside in Libya