Background: Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare, as well as invasions by Libya, before peace was 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 insurgents. 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 insurrection 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. In late 2015, the government imposed a state of emergency in the Lake Chad region following multiple attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram throughout the year; Boko Haram also launched several bombings in N'Djamena in mid-2015. DEBY in 2016 was reelected to his fifth term in an election that was peaceful but flawed. In December 2015, Chad completed a two-year rotation on the UN Security Council. In January 2017, DEBY completed a one-year term as Chairperson of the African Union Assembly.

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
Rank: 22
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 1116 km; , Central African Republic 1556 km; , Libya 1050 km; , Niger 1196 km; , Nigeria 85 km; , Sudan 1403 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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
Mean elevation: 543 m
Elevation extremes: 160 m
Note: lowest point: Djourab

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 39.6% (2011 est.)
Forest: 9.1% (2011 est.)
Other: 51.3% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 300 km² (2012)

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

Geography
Note: note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries

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: 15,833,116 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 71
Growth rate: 3.23% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 5
Below poverty line: 46.7% (2011 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

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, 40% of Chad’s population lives below the poverty line. 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 - although the mortality rate is high and life expectancy is low. Chad has the world’s third highest maternal mortality rate. 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. Only about a quarter of women are literate, less than 5% use contraceptives, and more than 40% undergo genital cutting.As of October 2017, more than 320,000 refugees from Sudan and more than 75,000 from the Central African Republic strain Chad’s limited resources and create tensions in host communities. Thousands of new refugees fled to Chad in 2013 to escape worsening violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The large refugee populations are hesitant to return to their home countries because of continued instability. Chad was relatively stable in 2012 in comparison to other states in the region, but past fighting between government forces and opposition groups and inter-communal violence have left nearly 60,000 of its citizens displaced in the eastern part of the country.

Age structure
0-14 years: 48.12% (male 3,856,001 /female 3,763,622)
15-24 years: 19.27% (male 1,532,687 /female 1,518,940)
25-54 years: 26.95% (male 2,044,795 /female 2,222,751)
55-64 years: 3.25% (male 228,930 /female 286,379)
65 years and over: 2.39% (male 164,257 /female 214,754) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 100.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 95.2 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 20.3 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 15.8 years
Male: 15.3 years
Female: 16.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 226

Population growth rate: 3.23% (2018 est.)
Rank: 5

Birth rate: 43 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 4

Death rate: 10.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 26

Net migration rate: -3.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 176

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 23.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.88% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.323 million N'DJAMENA (capital) (2018)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.83 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Infant mortality rate
Total: 71.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 77.8 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 65.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 6

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.5 years (2018 est.)
Male: 55.7 years (2018 est.)
Female: 59.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 214

Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 4

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 5.7% (2014/15)

Drinking water source
Urban: 28.2% of population
Rural: 55.2% of population
Total: 49.2% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 0.04 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 68.6% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 93.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 87.9% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.3% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 36
People living with hivaids: 110,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 42
Deaths: 3,100 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 38

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.1% (2016)
Rank: 170

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 28.8% (2015)
Rank: 11

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 146

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic (2016 est.)
Total population: 22.3% (2016 est.)
Male: 31.3% (2016 est.)
Female: 14% (2016 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 7 years (2011)
Male: 9 years (2011)
Female: 6 years (2011)

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 countrys 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: NDjamena
Geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 15 02 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 23 regions (regions, singular - region); 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, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Ville de N'Djamena, Wadi Fira

Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved 30 April 2018 by the National Assembly, entered into force 4 May 2018 (2018)
Amendments: 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; amended 2005, 2013 (2018)

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: President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990)
Head of government: President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990); prime minister position eliminated under the 2018 constitution
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: 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 10 April 2016 (next to be held in April 2021); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 61.6%, Saleh KEBZABO (UNDR) 12.8%, Laokein Kourayo MEDAR (CTPD) 10.7%, Djimrangar DADNADJI (CAP-SUR) 5.1%, other 9.8%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly (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)
Elections: last held on 13 February and 6 May 2011 (next to be held in 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 117, UNDR 10, RDP 9, RNDT/Le Reveil 8, URD 8, Viva-RNDP 5, FAR 4, CTPD 2, PDSA 2, PUR 2, UDR 2, other 19; composition - men 164, women 24, percent of women 12.8%: note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2019, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election

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: Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD [Laoukein Kourayo MEDAR]Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]Framework of Popular Action for Solidarity and Unity of the Republic or CAP-SUR [Joseph Djimrangar DADNADJI]National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP [Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE]National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ahmat ALHABO]Party for Unity and ReconciliationPatriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Idriss DEBY]Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mahamat Allahou TAHER]RNDT/Le Reveil [Albert Pahimi PADACKE]Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSAUnion for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Sande NGARYIMBE]

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), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ngote Gali KOUTOU (since 22 June 2018)
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) 758-0431
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Geeta PASI (since September 2016)
From the us embassy: Chagoua Round Point, NDjamena
From the us mailing address: B. P. 413, NDjamena
From the us telephone: [235] 2,251-5,017
From the us FAX: [235] 2,253-9,102

Flag description:

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

National anthem
Name: La Tchadienne (The Chadian)
Lyricsmusic: Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD: note: adopted 1960

Economy overview: Chad’s landlocked location results in high transportation costs for imported goods and dependence on neighboring countries. Oil and agriculture are mainstays of Chad’s economy. Oil provides about 60% of export revenues, while cotton, cattle, livestock, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings. The services sector contributes less than one-third of GDP and has attracted foreign investment mostly through telecommunications and banking.Nearly all of Chad’s fuel is provided by one domestic refinery, and unanticipated shutdowns occasionally result in shortages. The country regulates the price of domestic fuel, providing an incentive for black market sales.Although high oil prices and strong local harvests supported the economy in the past, low oil prices now stress Chad’s fiscal position and have resulted in significant government cutbacks. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most of its public and private sector investment. Investment in Chad is difficult due to its limited infrastructure, lack of trained workers, extensive government bureaucracy, and corruption. Chad obtained a three-year extended credit facility from the IMF in 2014 and was granted debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in April 2015.In 2018, economic policy will be driven by efforts that started in 2016 to reverse the recession and to repair damage to public finances and exports. The government is implementing an emergency action plan to counterbalance the drop in oil revenue and to diversify the economy. Chad’s national development plan (NDP) cost just over $9 billion with a financing gap of $6.7 billion. The NDP emphasized the importance of private sector participation in Chad’s development, as well as the need to improve the business environment, particularly in priority sectors such as mining and agriculture.The Government of Chad reached a deal with Glencore and four other banks on the restructuring of a $1.45 billion oil-backed loan in February 2018, after a long negotiation. The new terms include an extension of the maturity to 2,030 from 2022, a two-year grace period on principal repayments, and a lower interest rate of the London Inter-bank Offer Rate (Libor) plus 2% - down from Libor plus 7.5%. The original Glencore loan was to be repaid with crude oil assets, however, Chad's oil sales were hit by the downturn in the price of oil. Chad had secured a $312 million credit from the IMF in June 2017, but release of those funds hinged on restructuring the Glencore debt. Chad had already cut public spending to try to meet the terms of the IMF program, but that prompted strikes and protests in a country where nearly 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Multinational partners, such as the African Development Bank, the EU, and the World Bank are likely to continue budget support in 2018, but Chad will remain at high debt risk, given its dependence on oil revenue and pressure to spend on subsidies and security.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 134

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 211

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 202

Gross national saving:
Rank: 133

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: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, sesame, corn, rice, potatoes, onions, cassava (manioc, tapioca), cattle, sheep, goats, camels

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

Industrial production growth rate: -4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 192

Labor force: 5.654 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 74
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry: 20% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA

Population below poverty line: 46.7% (2011 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 43.3 (2011 est.)
Rank: 47

Budget
Revenues: 1.337 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.481 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 89

Taxes and other revenues: 13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 206

Public debt:
Rank: 94

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 2

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 91

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 36

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 144

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 152

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 143

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 121

Exports:
Rank: 133
Partners: US 38.7%, China 16.6%, Netherlands 15.7%, UAE 12.2%, India 6.3% (2017)
Commodities: oil, livestock, cotton, sesame, gum arabic, shea butter

Imports:
Rank: 163
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Partners: China 19.9%, Cameroon 17.2%, France 17%, US 5.4%, India 4.9%, Senegal 4.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 190

Debt external:
Rank: 154

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $4.5 billion (2006 est.)
Rank: 107

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: NA

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 10,477,071 (2013)
Access electrification total population: 4% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 14% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 1% (2013)
Production: 224.3 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 190
Consumption: 208.6 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 192
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 120
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 134
Installed generating capacity: 48,200 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 192
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 28
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 65
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 164
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 123

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 128,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 41
Crude oil exports: 70,440 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 37
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 109
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 38

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 130
Products consumption: 2,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 193
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 143
Products imports: 2,285 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 189

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 116
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 132
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 82
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 106
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 122

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 342,200 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 190

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 14,000 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines date: (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 189
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6,231,009 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 52 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 112

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate system of radio telephone communication stations with high maintenance costs and low telephone density; Chad remains one of the least developed on the African continent, telecom infrastructure is particularly low, with penetration rates in all sectors - fixed, mobile and internet -well below African averages (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons, with mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 52 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

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: 592,623 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 5% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 146

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 10,470 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 168

Military expenditures:
Rank: 33

Military service age and obligation: 20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service, with a 3-year service obligation; 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; 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 21; while provisions for military service have not been repealed, they have never been fully implemented (2015)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 28,332 (2015)
Date: (2015)

Airports: 59 (2013)
Rank: 82
With paved runways total: 9 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 50 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 22 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2013)

Pipelines: 582 km oil (2013)

Roadways
Total: 40,000 km (2011): 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
Rank: 88

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

Disputes international: since 2003, ad hoc armed militia groups and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into ChadChad 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 violenceonly 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: 336,295 (Sudan), 101,178 (Central African Republic), 11,319 (Nigeria) (2018)
IDPs: 162,755 (majority are in the east) (2018)