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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

0-14 years:

47.9% (male 2,297,490; female 2,269,801)

15-64 years:

49.3% (male 2,245,586; female 2,459,796)

65 years and over:

2.8% (male 107,594; female 158,277) (2004 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:

0.68 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2004 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 Pascal YOADIMNADJI (since 3 February 2005)

cabinet:

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

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

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

• 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

telephone:

[1] (202) 462-4009

FAX:

[1] (202) 265-1937

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 (2001 est.)

general assessment:

primitive system

domestic:

fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

international:

country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

33,400 km

paved:

267 km

unpaved:

33,133 km (1999 est.)

• 20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation;
• 18 years of age for volunteers;
• no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian (2004)

• civil war in Sudan overlaps into Chad as both states step up border patrols, leaving refugees and rebel groups in both countries;
• Chad serves as an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict;
• 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;
• Chad rejects Nigerian request to redemarcate boundary, the site of periodic cross-border incidents