Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (one of the shortwave stations has three frequencies) (1998)

Radios [time series]

NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

primitive system domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

5,000 (1987 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (broadcasts 1800 to 2100 hours, four days per week) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

7,000 (1991 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels

Budget [time series]

revenues: $198 million expenditures: $218 million, including capital expenditures of $146 million (1998 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

$875 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$238.3 million (1995); note?$125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Landlocked Chad's economic development suffers from it's geographic remoteness, drought, lack of infrastructure, and political turmoil. About 85% of the population depends on agriculture, including the herding of livestock. Of Africa's Francophone countries, Chad benefited least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies in January 1994. Financial aid from the World Bank, the African Development Fund, and other sources is directed largely at the improvement of agriculture, especially livestock production. Lack of financing and low oil prices, however, are stalling the development of an oil field in the Doba Basin and the construction of a proposed oil pipeline through Cameroon.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

90 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

90 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF) per US$1--560.01 (December 1998), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)

Exports [time series]

$220 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

cotton, cattle, textiles

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Portugal 30%, Germany 14%, Thailand, Costa Rica, South Africa, France (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity--$7.5 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 39% industry: 15% services: 46% (1997)

Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]

2.9% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$252 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

France 41%, Nigeria 10%, Cameroon 7%, India 6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

5% (1995)

Industries [time series]

cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15% (1997 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

agriculture 85% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km

Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]

slightly more than three times the size of California

Climate [time series]

tropical in south, desert in north

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m

Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

15 00 N, 19 00 E

Geography - note (Geography--note) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

140 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 5,968 km border countries: 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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 36% forests and woodland: 26% other: 35% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Central Africa, south of Libya

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

N'Djamena

Constitution [time series]

31 March 1995, passed by referendum

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Chad conventional short form: Chad local long form: Republique du Tchad local short form: Tchad

Data code [time series]

CD

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador David C. HALSTED embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Hassaballah Abdelhadi Ahmat SOUBIANE chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Nassour Guelengdouksia OUAIDOU (since 16 May 1997) cabinet: Council of State appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; 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 2 June and 11 July 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); prime minister appointed by the president election results: in the first round of voting none of the 15 candidates received the required 50% of the total vote; percent of vote, first round--Lt. Gen. Idress DEBY 47.8%; percent of vote, second round--Lt. Gen. DEBY 69.1%, Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE 30.9%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

11 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURCA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); replaces the Higher Transitional Council or the Conseil Superieur de Transition elections: National Assembly--last held in two rounds on 5 January and 23 February 1997, (next to be held NA 2001); in the first round of voting some candidates won clear victories by receiving 50% or more of the vote; where that did not happen, the two highest scoring candidates stood for a second round of voting election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--MPS 65, URD 29, UNDR 15, RDP 3, others 13

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 11 August (1960)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Patriotic Salvation Movement or the party in power and the party of the president); National Union mid-1996 Chad had about 60 political parties, of which these are the most prominent in the new National Assembly

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

In 1960, Chad gained full independence from France. In December 1990, after Chad had endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya, former northern guerrilla leader Idriss DEBY seized control of the government. His transitional government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled the territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution which was ratified by popular referendum in 1996, held multiparty national presidential elections in 1996 (DEBY won with 69% of the vote), and held multiparty elections for the National Assembly in 1997 (DEBY's Patriotic Salvation Movement won a majority of the seats). But by the end of 1998, DEBY was beset with numerous problems including heavy casualties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Chadian troops had been deployed to support embattled President KABILA, a new rebellion in northern Chad, and further delays in the Doba Basin oil project in the south.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Armed Forces (includes Ground Force, Air Force, and Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Rapid Intervention Force, Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$39 million (1996)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures--percent of GDP) [time series]

3.5% (1996)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,689,112 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 875,541 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower--military age) [time series]

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower--reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 70,464 (1999 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 44% (male 1,675,394; female 1,667,717) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,953,251; female 2,034,883) 65 years and over: 3% (male 99,783; female 126,408) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

43.06 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

16.57 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba), non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa), nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

115.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 48.56 years male: 46.13 years female: 51.09 years (1999 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic total population: 48.1% male: 62.1% female: 34.7% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

7,557,436 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.65% (1999 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.69 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]

delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria

Airports [time series]

52 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 10 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 33,400 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 33,133 km (1996 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

none

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

2,000 km navigable