Chad

republicIndependence 11 August 1960 (from France)

Chad as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalN'Djamena
LocationCentral Africa, between the Central African Republic and Libya
1994

Every edition of Chad

Populationas each edition published it
5.47 million July 1994 est. · 5.02m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.15% 1994 est. · 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
5.33 children per woman 1994 est. · 5.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
131.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 136 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$500 1993 est. · $215 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
8.4% 1991 est. · 8.4% in 1993

Geography

Central Africa, between the Central African Republic and Libya

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
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
Irrigated land
100sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Central Africa, between the Central African Republic and Libya

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

1.284 million sq km

land area

1,259,200 sq km

comparative area

slightly more than three times the size of California

International disputes

  • the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad, and that Libya must withdraw from it by 31 May 1994;
  • Libya had withdrawn its forces in response to the ICJ ruling, but as of June 1994 still maintained an airfield in the disputed area;
  • demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria

Climate

tropical in south, desert in north

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

arable land

2%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

36%

forest and woodland

11%

other

51%

current issues

desertification

natural hazards

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

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

Note

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

People

22 fields
Population
5,466,771
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.15% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
42.12Death
20.59Net migration
0
Literacy
15
age · and over can read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

131.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

40.79 years

male

39.7 years

female

41.94 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Chadian(s)

adjective

Chadian

north and center

Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba)

south

non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) nonindigenous 150,000, of whom 1,000 are French

Religions

Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs, animism 25%

Languages

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

total population

30%

male

42%

female

18%

by occupation

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

Government

Republic

59 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$500
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
8.4%
(1991 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 12.9% (1989 est.); accounts for nearly 15% of GDP
External debt
$492million
(December 1990 est.)

conventional long form

Republic of Chad

conventional short form

Chad

local long form

Republique du Tchad

local short form

Tchad

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)

National holiday

Independence Day 11 August (1960)

Constitution

  • 22 December 1989, suspended 3 December 1990;
  • Provisional National Charter 1 March 1991;
  • constitutional commission drafting new constitution to submit to transitional parliament for ratification in April 1994

Suffrage

universal at age NA

chief of state

President Col. Idriss DEBY, since 4 December 1990 (after seizing power on 3 December 1990 - transitional government's mandate expires April 1995)

head of government

Prime Minister Kassire Delwa KOUMAKOYE (since 17 November 1993)

cabinet

Council of State; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Consultatif)

  • elections last held 8 July 1990;
  • disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by the Provisional Council of the Republic having 30 members appointed by President DEBY on 8 March 1991;
  • this, in turn, was replaced by a 57-member Higher Transitional Council (Conseil Superieur de Transition) elected by a specially convened Sovereign National Conference on 6 April 1993

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former dissident group), Idriss DEBY, chairman

note

  • President DEBY, who promised political pluralism, a new constitution, and free elections by April 1994, has postponed these initiatives for another year;
  • there are numerous dissident groups and 26 opposition political parties

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

(vacant); Ambassador KOUMBARIA Laoumaye Mekonyo died on 16 May 1994

chancery

2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone

(202) 462-4009

FAX

(202) 265-1937

chief of mission

Ambassador Lawrence POPE

embassy

Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena

mailing address

B. P. 413, N'Djamena

telephone

[235] (51) 62-18, 40-09, or 62-11

FAX

[235] (51) 33-72

Flag

  • three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
  • similar to the flag of Romania;
  • also similar to the flag of Andorra, which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow band;
  • design was based on the flag of France

Overview

Climate, geographic remoteness, poor resource endowment, and lack of infrastructure make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is hobbled by political turmoil, conflict with Libya, drought, and food shortages. Consequently the economy has shown little progress in recent years in overcoming a severe setback brought on by civil war in the late 1980s.

Over 80% of the work force is involved in subsistence farming and fishing. Cotton is the major cash crop, accounting for at least half of exports. Chad is highly dependent on foreign aid, especially food credits, given chronic shortages in several regions. The government hopes that discovery of several oil deposits near Lake Chad will lead to economic revival and a windfall in government revenues by 2000.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.7 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$115 million

expenditures

$412 million, including capital expenditures of $218 million (1991 est.)

Exports

$193.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities

cotton 48%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish

partners

France, Nigeria, Cameroon

Imports

$294.1 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities

machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; note - excludes military equipment

partners

US, France, Nigeria, Cameroon

capacity

40,000 kW

production

70 million kWh

consumption per capita

15 kWh (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for about 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

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $198 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $80 million

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)

note

beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

11 fields

total

31,322 km

paved

bituminous 32 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone 7,300 km; earth 23,990 km

Inland waterways

2,000 km navigable

total

68

usable

58

with permanent-surface runways

5

with runways over 3,659 m

1

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

3

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

27

Telecommunications

  • fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links;
  • broadcast stations - 6 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service;
  • many facilities are inoperative;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican | Guard

3 fields

Branches

Army (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican Guard

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 1,276,167;
  • fit for military service 663,326;
  • reach military age (20) annually 54,027 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $58 million, 5.6% of GDP (1989)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Chad.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/chad/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →