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Chad
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. A transitional 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 1999. Despite movement toward democratic reform, power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic oligarchy.
Location: Central Africa, south of Libya Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 19 00 E Map references: Africa Area:
Area - 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 extremes:
Natural resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad) Land use:
Irrigated land: 140 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
Population: 8,424,504 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 3.31% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 48.81 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 15.71 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 96.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 6.63 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
Muslims, commonly referred to as "northerners" or "gorane" (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba); non-Muslims, commonly referred to as "southerners" (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) including nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25% Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: CD 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 Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France) National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960) Constitution: passed by referendum 31 March 1995 Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); replaces the Higher Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de Transition
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts Political parties and leaders: National Union for Development and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Maldom Bada ABBAS, 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 Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE] International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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: Landlocked Chad's economic development suffers from it's geographic remoteness, drought, lack of infrastructure, and political turmoil. About 85% of the population depends on agriculture, including the herding of livestock. Of Africa's Francophone countries, Chad benefited least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies in January 1994. Financial aid from the World Bank, the African Development Fund, and other sources is directed largely at the improvement of agriculture, especially livestock production. Due to lack of financing, the development of the Doba Basin oil fields, originally due to finish in 2000, has been substantially delayed. GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 0.6% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1998 est.) Labor force: NA Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget:
Industries: cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995) Electricity - production: 100 million kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 93 million kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels Exports: $288 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: cotton, cattle, textiles Exports - partners: Portugal 30%, Germany 14%, Thailand, Costa Rica, South Africa, France (1997) Imports: $359 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles Imports - partners: France 41%, Nigeria 10%, Cameroon 7%, India 6% (1997) Debt - external: $1 billion (1999 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $238.3 million (1995); note - $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 5,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995) Telephone system:
primitive system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 5 (1998) Radios: 1.67 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: 10,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Railways: 0 km Highways:
Waterways: 2,000 km navigable Ports and harbors: none Airports: 49 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Armed Forces (includes Ground Force, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Rapid Intervention Force, Police, Rural and Nomadic Guard (GNNT) Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $39 million (FY96) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.5% (FY96)
Disputes - international: delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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