Country: Chad - Geography Total area: 1,284,000 km2; land area: 1,259,200 km2 Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of California Land boundaries: 5,968 km 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 Coastline: none--landlocked Maritime claims: none--landlocked Disputes: Libya claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in far north; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined--since the boundary has not been demarcated, border incidents have resulted Climate: tropical in south, desert in north Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south Natural resources: small quantities of crude oil (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad) Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 36% meadows and pastures; 11% forest and woodland; 51% other; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; drought and desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues of locusts Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel - People Population: 5,017,431 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990) Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 38 years male, 40 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moudang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French Religion: 44% Muslim, 33% Christian, 23% indigenous beliefs, animism Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken Literacy: 25.3% Labor force: NA; 85% agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor force - Government Long-form name: Republic of Chad 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) Constitution: 22 December 1989 Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day (founding of the Third Republic), 7 June (1982) Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif) Judicial branch: Court of Appeal Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Hissein HABRE (since 19 June 1982) Political parties and leaders: National Union for Independence and Revolution (UNIR) established June 1984 with Habre as President; numerous dissident groups (most significant opponents have returned to the government since mid-1986) Suffrage: universal at age NA Elections: President--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held December 1996); results--President Habre was reelected without opposition Communists: no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers Other political or pressure groups: NA Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at 2002 R Steet NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-4009; US--Ambassador-designate Richard W. BOGOSIAN; Charge d'Affaires, Julius WALKER; Embassy at Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone p235o (51) 32-69 or 35-13, 28-62, 23-29, 32-29, 30-94, 28-47 Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Andorra which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow band; also similar to the flag of Romania which has a national coat of arms featuring a mountain landscape centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France - Economy Overview: The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources potential make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is slowly recovering from the ravaging effects of prolonged civil war, conflict with Libya, drought, and food shortages. In 1986 real GDP returned to its 1977 level, with cotton, the major cash crop, accounting for 43% of exports. Over 80% of the work force is employed in subsistence farming and fishing. Industry is based almost entirely on the processing of agricultural products, including cotton, sugarcane, and cattle. Chad is still highly dependent on foreign aid, with its economy in trouble and many regions suffering from shortages. GDP: $902 million, per capita $190; real growth rate 7.0% (1988) Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 3.0% (1987) Unemployment rate: NA Budget: revenues $61 million; expenditures $85 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988 est.) Exports: $432 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cotton 43%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish; partners--France, Nigeria, Cameroon Imports: $214 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; partners--US, France External debt: $360 million (December 1989) Industrial production: growth rate - 7.0% (1986) Electricity: 38,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery, natron (sodium carbonate) Agriculture: accounts for 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 Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $178 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $71 million Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Highways: 31,322 km total; 32 km bituminous; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; remainder unimproved Inland waterways: 2,000 km navigable Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft Airports: 71 total, 55 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 24 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links; 5,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service; many facilities are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station - Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,163,312; 603,923 fit for military service; 50,255 reach military age (20) annually Defense expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (1987)