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 sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits.
Location
Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
1.284 million sq km
land
1,259,200 sq km
water
24,800 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries
total
5,968 km
border countries
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
highest point
Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Natural resources
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
Population
9,885,661 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
47.3% (male 2,366,496/female 2,308,155)
15-64 years
49.8% (male 2,250,211/female 2,676,076)
65 years and over
2.9% (male 120,666/female 164,057) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
16.3 years
male
15 years
female
17.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.32% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
42.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
16.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.025 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.841 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.736 male(s)/female
total population
0.92 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
102.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male
108.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female
95.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
47.2 years
male
46.17 years
female
48.27 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.56 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
4.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
200,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
18,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease
malaria
water contact disease
schistosomiasis
respiratory disease
meningococcal meningitis (2007)
Nationality
noun
Chadian(s)
adjective
Chadian
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)
Religions
Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)
Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic
total population
47.5%
male
56%
female
39.3% (2003 est.)
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
Government type
republic
Capital
name
N'Djamena
geographic coordinates
12 07 N, 15 03 E
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
18 regions (regions, singular - region); Batha, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi Est, Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile, Ville de N'Djamena, Wadi Fira
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
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 Itno (since 4 December 1990)
head of government
Prime Minister Nouradine Delwa KASSIRE Koumakoye (since 26 February 2007)
cabinet
Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
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 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results
Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%, Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the 1996 constitution called for a Senate that has never been formed
elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held by 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders
Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or 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 Democracy and Republic or UDR [Jean ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]
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 continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. Over 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. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves have been estimated to be 2 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$14.98 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$4.967 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,500 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
32.5%
industry
26.6%
services
40.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force
2.719 million (1993)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
industry and services
20%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
80% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
9.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$617.3 million
expenditures
$877.6 million; including capital expenditures of $146 million (2006 est.)
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners
France 19.1%, Cameroon 18.1%, US 12.9%, Germany 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.1%, Belgium 5% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$352.8 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$1.5 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
ODA, $246.9 million (2003 est.)
Currency (code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Currency code
XAF
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
13,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
210,000 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
primitive system
domestic
fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
international
country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios
1.67 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2001)
Televisions
10,000 (1997)
Internet country code
Internet hosts
9 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2002)
Internet users
35,000 (2005)
Airports
52 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
7
over 3,047 m
2
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
under 914 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
45
1,524 to 2,437 m
14
914 to 1,523 m
21
under 914 m
10 (2006)
Pipelines
oil 205 km (2006)
Roadways
total
33,400 km
paved
267 km
unpaved
33,133 km (1999)
Waterways
Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2006)
Military branches
Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale Tchadienne, ANT), Chadian Air Force (Force Aerienne Tchadienne, FAT), Gendarmerie (2007)
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 guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 20-49
1,527,580
females age 20-49
1,629,510 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 20-49
794,988
females age 20-49
849,500 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
94,536
females age 20-49
93,521 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
4.2% (2006)
Disputes - international
since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; 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
