1986 Edition

Agriculture

commercial — cotton, gum arabic, livestock, peanuts, fish; food crops — millet, sorghum, rice, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, dates; imports food

Area

1,284,634 km2; about the size of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico combined; 35% pasture; 17% arable; 2% forest and scrub; 46% other use and waste

1,267,000 km2; almost three times the size of California; 7.6% permanent meadow and pasture, 2.6% arable, 2.3% forest and woodland, .02% inland water, 87% other

Branches

presidency; Council of Ministers; National Consultative Council, Supreme Court and several lower courts

Capital

N'Djamena

Communists

no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers

Elections

none planned Political parties and leaders: National Union for Independence and Revolution (UNIR) established June 1984 with Habre as president; numerous dissident groups

Electric power

25,000 kW capacity (1985); 32 million kWh produced (1985), 6 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moudang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French

56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates

Exports

$113. 15 million (f.o.b., 1984); cotton (80%), meat, fish, animal products

Fishing

catch 1 10,000 metric tons (1983 est.)

GDP

$360 million (1984 est.), $88 per capita (1984 est.); real annual growth rate —2.8% (1960-82 est.)

Government leaders

Hissein HABRE, President (since June 1982)

Imports

$1 14.38 million (f.o.b., 1984); cement, petroleum, flour, sugar, tea, machinery, textiles, motor vehicles

Infant mortality rate

142/1,000(1983)

136/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

85% agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

2.5 million (1982) wage earners; 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government

Land boundaries

5,987 km People

5,745 km People

Language

French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken

French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Legal system

based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; constitution adopted in 1962; constitution suspended and National Assembly dissolved in April 1975; Fundamental Act, a quasiconstitution decreed in October 1982, provides juridical framework whereby decrees are promulgated by the president; judicial review of legislative acts in theory a power of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Life expectancy

men 41.5, women 43.9

45

Literacy

about 20%

10%

Major industries

agricultural and livestock processing plants (cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery), natron

Member of

Af DB, CEAO, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Economy During the last decade droughts and plagues of locusts have caused widespread food shortages, and years of civil war have devastated the economy

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 August

Nationality

noun — Chadian(s); adjective — Chadian

noun — Nigerien(s) adjective — Nigerien

Natural resources

petroleum (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin

Official name

Republic of Chad

Organized labor

about 20% of wage labor force Government

negligible

Other political or pressure groups

the development of a stable government continues to be hampered by prolonged tribal and regional antagonisms; ex-President Goukouni Weddeye heads a rebel government, with Libyan backing, that occupies the northern third of Chad

Political subdivisions

14 prefectures, 54 subprefectures, 27 administrative posts, 9 municipalities

Population

5,23 1,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 3.8%

6,715,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 3.4%

Religion

52% Muslim, 43% indigenous beliefs, 5% Christian

80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Type

republic