1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
1,284,640 km2; 17% arable, 35% pastureland, 2% forest and scrub, 46% other uses and waste
Land boundaries
5,987 km
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
some 200 distinct ethnic groups, including Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Fulani, Kotoko, Hausa, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Mayo-Kebbi, and Chari) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, 3,000 of them French
Labor force
only 55% of population in economically active group, of which 90% are engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing; 50,000 wage earners in industry and civil service
Language
French official; Chadian Arabic is lingua franca in north, Sara and Sangho in south
Literacy
estimated 5%-10%
Nationality
noun—Chadian(s); adjective—Chadian
Organized labor
about 20% of wage labor force
Population
4,852,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.3%; this estimate does not take into account migration between Cameroon and from Chad during recent years
Religion
about half Muslim, 5% Christian, remainder animist
Government
Branches
presidency; Council of Ministers
Capital
N'Djamena
Communists
no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers
Elections
none planned pending OAU efforts to encourage reconciliation among Chad's feuding factions Political parties and leaders: political parties banned
Government leaders
President GOUKOUNI Weddeye; Vice President Lt. Col KAMOUGUE Wadal Abdel Kader; Minister of Defense Adoum TOGOI; Foreign Minister ACYL Ahmat
Legal system
based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; constitution adopted 1962; constitution suspended and National Assembly dissolved April 1975; judicial review of legislative acts in theory a power of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
AFDB, CEAO, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EEC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
National holiday
13 April
Official name
Republic of Chad
Other political or pressure groups
the development of a stable government will be hampered by prolonged tribal and regional antagonisms of the numerous factions now ruling Chad and by insurgent forces of rebel leader Hissein Habre
Political subdivisions
14 prefectures
Suffrage
universal
Type
republic; transitional Government of National Unity
Economy
Agriculture
commercial—cotton, gum arabic, livestock, fish; food crops—peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, dates; imports food
Budget
(1978 est.) public revenue $67.4 million, current revenue $89.0 million
Electric power
38,000 kW capacity (1980); 63 million kWh produced (1980), 13 kWh per capita
Exports
$90.5 million (f.o.b., 1978 est.); cotton 80%, livestock and animal products
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 70,000 metric tons (1978 est.)
GDP
$500 million (1980), $109 per capita; estimated real annual growth rate 0.6% (1971-81)
Imports
$179.6 million (f.o.b., 1978 est); cement, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery, textiles, and motor vehicles
Major industries
agricultural and livestock processing plants (cotton textile mill, slaughterhouses, brewery), natron
Major trade partners
France (about 40% in 1973) and UDEAC countries; preferential tariffs to EC and franc zone countries
Monetary conversion rate
212.72 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$1 (1979)
Communications
Airfields
65 total, 61 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft
Highways
27,505 km total; 242 km bituminous, 4,385 km gravel and laterite, and remainder unimproved
Inland waterways
approximately 2,000 km navigable
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links; satellite ground station; 5,000 telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 1 AM and no FM stations; most facilities inoperative
Military and Security
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1977, $22.2 million; about 33% of total budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,093,000; 565,000 fit for military service; about 46,000 reach military age (20) annually
Supply
primarily dependent on France