Chad

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

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

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

0-14 years:

47.9% (male 2,228,605; female 2,201,368)

15-64 years:

49.3% (male 2,171,169; female 2,393,184)

65 years and over:

2.8% (male 105,686; female 153,481) (2003 est.)

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

noun:

Chadian(s)

adjective:

Chadian

• 200 distinct groups;
• in the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim;
• in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist;
• about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad

conventional long form:

Republic of Chad

conventional short form:

Chad

local long form:

Republique du Tchad

local short form:

Tchad

chief of state:

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

head of government:

Prime Minister Moussa Faki MAHAMAT (since NA July 2003)

cabinet:

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

election results:

Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 63%, Ngarlegy YORONGAR 16%, Saleh KEBZABO 7%

note: government coalition - MPS, UNDR, and URD

elections:

• president elected by popular vote to serve five-year term;
• 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 20 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006);
• prime minister appointed by the president

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE

chancery:

2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

FAX:

[1] (202) 265-1937

telephone:

[1] (202) 462-4009

chief of mission:

Ambassador Christopher E. GOLDTHWAIT

embassy:

Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena

mailing address:

B. P. 413, N'Djamena

telephone:

[235] (51) 70-09

FAX:

[235] (51) 56-54

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• $238.3 million;
• note - $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997);
• $30 million committed by African Development Bank;
• ODA $150 million

general assessment:

primitive system

domestic:

fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

33,400 km

paved:

267 km

unpaved:

33,133 km (1999 est.)

• internal political instabilities with fighting and violence overlap into Chad and Central African Republic, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both countries;
• Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya;
• Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias;
• Chad rejects Nigerian request to redemarcate boundary, the site of continuing cross-border incidents