1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical in south, desert in north
Coastline
none--landlocked
Comparative area
slightly more than three times the size of California
Disputes
Libya claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in far north; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined--since the boundary has not been demarcated, border incidents have resulted
Environment
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; drought and desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues of locusts
Land boundaries
5,968 km total; 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
Land use
2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 36% meadows and pastures; 11% forest and woodland; 51% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Maritime claims
none--landlocked
Natural resources
small quantities of crude oil (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
Note
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
Terrain
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Total area
1,284,000 km2; land area: 1,259,200 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
42 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
22 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
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
Infant mortality rate
136 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
NA; 85% agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
Language
French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
Life expectancy at birth
38 years male, 40 years female (1990)
Literacy
25.3%
Nationality
noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
about 20% of wage labor force
Population
5,017,431 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Religion
44% Muslim, 33% Christian, 23% indigenous beliefs, animism
Total fertility rate
5.3 children born/woman (1990)
Government
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
Capital
N'Djamena
Communists
no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers
Constitution
22 December 1989
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at 2002 R Steet NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-4009; US--Ambassador-designate Richard W. BOGOSIAN; Charge d'Affaires, Julius WALKER; Embassy at Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone [235] (51) 32-69 or 35-13, 28-62, 23-29, 32-29, 30-94, 28-47
Elections
President--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held December 1996); results--President Habre was reelected without opposition
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Andorra which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow band; also similar to the flag of Romania which has a national coat of arms featuring a mountain landscape centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France
Independence
11 August 1960 (from France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Hissein HABRE
Legal system
based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Consultative Council
Long-form name
Republic of Chad
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CEAO, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
National holiday
National Day (founding of the Third Republic), 7 June (1982)
Other political or pressure groups
NA
Political parties and leaders
National Union for Independence and Revolution (UNIR) established June 1984 with Habre as President; numerous dissident groups (most significant opponents have returned to the government since mid-1986)
Suffrage
universal at age NA
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 45% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; cotton most important cash crop; food crops include sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats, camels; self-sufficient in food in years of adequate rainfall
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $178 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $71 million
Budget
revenues $61 million; expenditures $85 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988 est.)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Electricity
38,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Exports
$432 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cotton 43%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish; partners--France, Nigeria, Cameroon
External debt
$360 million (December 1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$902 million, per capita $190; real growth rate 7.0% (1988)
Imports
$214 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; partners--US, France
Industrial production
growth rate - 7.0% (1986)
Industries
cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery, natron
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- 3.0% (1987)
Overview
The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources potential make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is slowly recovering from the ravaging effects of prolonged civil war, conflict with Libya, drought, and food shortages. In 1986 real GDP returned to its 1977 level, with cotton, the major cash crop, accounting for 43% of exports. Over 80% of the work force is employed in subsistence farming and fishing. Industry is based almost entirely on the processing of agricultural products, including cotton, sugarcane, and cattle. Chad is still highly dependent on foreign aid, with its economy in trouble and many regions suffering from shortages.
Unemployment rate
NA
Communications
Airports
71 total, 55 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 24 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft
Highways
31,322 km total; 32 km bituminous; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; remainder unimproved
Inland waterways
2,000 km navigable
Telecommunications
fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links; 5,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service; many facilities are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
Defense expenditures
3.5% of GDP (1987)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,163,312; 603,923 fit for military service; 50,255 reach military age (20) annually