2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

1,259,200 sq km

total

1.284 million sq km

water

24,800 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than three times the size of California

Climate

tropical in south, desert in north

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Emi Koussi 3,415 m

lowest point

Djourab Depression 160 m

Environment - current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 19 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel

Irrigated land

140 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

total

5,968 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forests and woodland

26%

other

35% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

36%

Location

Central Africa, south of Libya

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues

Natural resources

petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

Terrain

broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 2,022,339; female 1,994,978) 15-64 years: 49% (male 1,964,216; female 2,204,902) 65 years and over: 3% (male 99,459; female 138,610) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

48.81 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

15.71 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

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)

note

ethnicity and regional background more commonly used to identify Chadians than religious affiliation

Infant mortality rate

96.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

52.56 years (2000 est.)

male

48.5 years

total population

50.49 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic

female

34.7% (1995 est.)

male

62.1%

total population

48.1%

Nationality

adjective

Chadian

noun

Chadian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

8,424,504 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.31% (2000 est.)

Religions

Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.63 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Constitution

passed by referendum 31 March 1995

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Chad

conventional short form

Chad

local long form

Republique du Tchad

local short form

Tchad

Data code

CD

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Christopher GOLDTHWAIT

embassy

Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena

mailing address

B. P. 413, N'Djamena

telephone

(51) 70-09, (51) 90-52, (51) 92-33

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE

telephone

(202) 462-4009

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990)

election results

in the first round of voting none of the 15 candidates received the required 50% of the total vote; percent of vote, first round - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 43.8%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 12.4%; percent of vote, second round - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 69.1%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 30.9%

elections

president elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; 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 2 June and 11 July 1996 (next to be held June 2001); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Nagdum YAMASSOUM (since 13 December 1999)

note

government coalition - MPS, UNDR, and URD

FAX

(202) 265-1937

(51) 56-54

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

Government type

republic

Independence

11 August 1960 (from France)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts

Legal system

based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13

elections

National Assembly - last held in two rounds on 5 January and 23 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001); in the first round of voting some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or more of the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring candidates stood for a second round of voting

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Political parties and leaders

National Union for Development and Renewal or UNDR ; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS (originally in opposition but now the party in power and the party of the president); Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP ; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Budget

expenditures

$218 million, including capital expenditures of $146 million (1998 est.)

revenues

$198 million

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

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

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.

Electricity - consumption

93 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

100 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

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)

note

since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

38%

industry

14%

services

48% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.6% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (1995)

Industries

cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12% (1998 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 85% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

1.67 million (1997)

Telephone system

primitive system

domestic

fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

5,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

10,000 (1997)

Airports

49 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

267 km

total

33,400 km

unpaved

33,133 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

0 km

Waterways

2,000 km navigable

Military branches

Armed Forces (includes Ground Force, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Rapid Intervention Force, Police, Rural and Nomadic Guard (GNNT)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$39 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.5% (FY96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,749,033 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 915,664 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

79,596 (2000 est.)

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

CHILE