Chad

republicIndependence 11 August 1960 (from France)

Chad as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalN'Djamena
Area1,284,000 km2
1990

Every edition of Chad

Populationas each edition published it
5.02 million July 1990 · 19.67m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 2.13% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 16 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 40.41 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.3 children per woman 1990 · 5.13 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
136 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 61.1 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $215 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 8.4% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 1,284,000 km2

arable land 2%meadows and pastures 36%forest and woodland 11%other 51%NEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated
Total area
1,284,000km2
land area: 1,259,200 km2Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries
5,968km 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

Coastline

none--landlocked

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

Climate

tropical in south, desert in north

Terrain

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

Natural resources

small quantities of crude oil (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

Environment

  • hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north;
  • drought and desertification adversely affecting south;
  • subject to plagues of locusts

Note

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

People

14 fields
Population
5,017,431
(July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
42Death
22

Religion

Muslim 44%Christian 33%indigenous beliefs 23%animism

Net migration rate

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

136 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

38 years male, 40 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

5.3 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian

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

Language

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

Labor force

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

Organized labor

about 20% of wage labor force

Government

Republic

18 fields

Long-form name

Republic of Chad

Type

republic

Capital

N'Djamena

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

Independence

11 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution

22 December 1989

National holiday

National Day (founding of the Third Republic), 7 June (1982)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal Chief of State and Head of Government--President Hissein HABRE (since 19 June 1982)

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 President--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held December 1996); results--President Habre was reelected without opposition

Communists

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

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

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

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

Economy

The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources potential make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$902million
per capita $190; real growth rate 7.0% (1988)
External debt
$360million
(December 1989)

Exports $432 million (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

cotton
43%cattle
35%textiles
5%
also fish; partners--France, Nigeria, Cameroon

Imports $214 million (c.i.f., 1988)

machinery and transportation equipment
39%industrial goods
20%petroleum products
13%foodstuffs
9%
; partners--US, France

Budget

Revenues
$61 millionExpenditures
$85 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (1988 est.)

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.

Industrial production

growth rate - 7.0% (1986)

Electricity

38,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery, natron (sodium carbonate)

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

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 71 total, 55 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
3runways 1,220-2,439 m
24

Networkskm

Highways
31,322Inland waterways
2,000
Highways: ; 32 km bituminous; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; remainder unimproved

Highways

  • 31,322 km total;
  • 32 km bituminous;
  • 7,300 km gravel and laterite;
  • remainder unimproved

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

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

Defense Forces

Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
1,163,312fit for military service
603,923reach military age (20) annually
50,255
Defense expenditures
3.5%of GDP
(1987)

Branches

Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

Central Intelligence Agency. “Chad.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/chad/1990.

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