Chad

mean elevation:

543 m

elevation extremes:

160 m lowest point: Djourab; 3445 highest point: Emi Koussi

• the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography;
• the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south;
• the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated

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

• inadequate supplies of potable water;
• improper waste disposal in rural areas and poor farming practices contribute to soil and water pollution;
• desertification

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping

noun:

Chadian(s)

adjective:

Chadian

0-14 years:

48.12% (male 3,856,001 /female 3,763,622)

15-24 years:

19.27% (male 1,532,687 /female 1,518,940)

25-54 years:

26.95% (male 2,044,795 /female 2,222,751)

55-64 years:

3.25% (male 228,930 /female 286,379)

65 years and over:

2.39% (male 164,257 /female 214,754) (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio:

100.2 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:

95.2 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:

4.9 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio:

20.3 (2015 est.)

• the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography;
• the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south;
• the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years:

0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years:

0.83 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years:

0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

degree of risk:

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and dengue fever (2016)

water contact diseases:

schistosomiasis (2016)

animal contact diseases:

rabies (2016)

respiratory diseases:

meningococcal meningitis (2016)

name:

N'Djamena

geographic coordinates:

12 06 N, 15 02 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

history:

several previous; latest approved 30 April 2018 by the National Assembly, entered into force 4 May 2018 (2018)

amendments:

• proposed as a revision by the president of the republic after a Council of Ministers (cabinet) decision or by the National Assembly;
• approval for consideration of a revision requires at least three-fifths majority vote by the Assembly;
• passage requires approval by referendum or at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly;
• amended 2005, 2013 (2018)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

both parents must be citizens of Chad

dual citizenship recognized:

Chadian law does not address dual citizenship

residency requirement for naturalization:

15 years

highest courts:

• Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers);
• Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice selected by the president;
• councilors - 8 designated by the president and 7 by the speaker of the National Assembly;
• chief justice and councilors appointed for life;
• Constitutional Council judges - 2 appointed by the president and 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly;
• jurists - 3 each by the president and by the speaker of the National Assembly;
• judges appointed for 9-year terms

subordinate courts:

• High Court of Justice;
• Courts of Appeal;
• tribunals;
• justices of the peace

chief of state:

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

head of government:

President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. (since 4 December 1990); prime minister position eliminated under the 2018 constitution

cabinet:

Council of Ministers; members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 10 April 2016 (next to be held in April 2021);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 61.6%, Saleh KEBZABO (UNDR) 12.8%, Laokein Kourayo MEDAR (CTPD) 10.7%, Djimrangar DADNADJI (CAP-SUR) 5.1%, other 9.8%

description:

unicameral National Assembly (188 seats; 163 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 25 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 13 February and 6 May 2011 (next to be held in 2019)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - MPS 117, UNDR 10, RDP 9, RNDT/Le Reveil 8, URD 8, Viva-RNDP 5, FAR 4, CTPD 2, PDSA 2, PUR 2, UDR 2, other 19;
• composition - men 164, women 24, percent of women 12.8%

note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2019, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election

• Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD [Laoukein Kourayo MEDAR]
• Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]
• Framework of Popular Action for Solidarity and Unity of the Republic or CAP-SUR [Joseph Djimrangar DADNADJI]
• National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP [Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE]
• National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]
• Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ahmat ALHABO]
• Party for Unity and Reconciliation
• Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Idriss DEBY]Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mahamat Allahou TAHER]RNDT/Le Reveil [Albert Pahimi PADACKE]
• Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSA
• Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Sande NGARYIMBE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ngote Gali KOUTOU (since 22 June 2018)

chancery:

2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 652-1312

FAX:

[1] (202) 758-0431

chief of mission:

Ambassador Geeta PASI (since September 2016)

embassy:

Chagoua Round Point, N'Djamena

mailing address:

B. P. 413, N'Djamena

telephone:

[235] 2251-5017

FAX:

[235] 2253-9102

• three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and red;
• the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow (gold) of the Pan-African colors;
• blue symbolizes the sky, hope, and the south of the country, which is relatively well-watered;
• gold represents the sun, as well as the desert in the north of the country;
• red stands for progress, unity, and sacrifice

note: almost identical to the flag of Romania but with a darker shade of blue; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design based on the flag of France

name:

"La Tchadienne" (The Chadian)

lyrics/music:

Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD

note: adopted 1960

agriculture:

80%

industry:

20% (2006 est.)

lowest 10%:

30.8% (2003)

highest 10%:

30.8% (2003)

general assessment:

• inadequate system of radio telephone communication stations with high maintenance costs and low telephone density;
• Chad remains one of the least developed on the African continent, telecom infrastructure is particularly low, with penetration rates in all sectors - fixed, mobile and internet -well below African averages (2017)

domestic:

fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons, with mobile-cellular subscribership base of about 52 per 100 persons (2017)

international:

country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

• 1 state-owned TV station;
• 2 privately-owned TV stations;
• state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations;
• over 10 private radio stations;
• some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2017)

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

28,332 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

mt-km (2015)

• 20 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service, with a 3-year service obligation;
• 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service;
• no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a parent or guardian;
• women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age 21;
• while provisions for military service have not been repealed, they have never been fully implemented (2015)

Boko Haram:

aim(s): establish an Islamic caliphate across Africa

area(s) of operation:

conducts kidnappings, bombings, and assaults, including in the capital, N'Djamena

note: violently opposes any political or social activity associated with Western society, including voting, attending secular schools, and wearing Western dress (April 2018)

• Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)-West Africa: aim(s): implement ISIS's strict interpretation of Sharia;
• replace the Nigerian Government with an Islamic state

area(s) of operation:

• based primarily in Northeast Nigeria along the border with Niger, with its largest presence in northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad region;
• targets primarily regional military installations (April 2018)

since 2003, ad hoc armed militia groups and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into ChadChad wishes to be a helpful mediator in resolving the Darfur conflict, and in 2010 established a joint border monitoring force with Sudan, which has helped to reduce cross-border banditry and violenceonly Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

refugees (country of origin):

336,295 (Sudan), 101,178 (Central African Republic), 11,319 (Nigeria) (2018)

IDPs:

162,755 (majority are in the east) (2018)