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Chad |
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| Background: |
Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades
of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of
peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually suppressed
or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled a territorial
dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic
constitution, and held multiparty presidential and National Assembly
elections in 1996 and 1997, respectively. In 1998, a new rebellion broke
out in northern Chad, which continued to escalate throughout 2000. A
peace agreement, signed in January 2002 between the government and the
rebels, provides for the demobilization of the rebels and their reintegration
into the political system. Despite movement toward democratic reform,
power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic oligarchy. |
| Location: |
Central Africa, south of Libya |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
15 00 N, 19 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Africa
|
| Area: |
total: 1.284 million sq km
water: 24,800 sq km
land: 1,259,200 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more than three times the size of California |
| Land
boundaries: |
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 |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
tropical in south, desert in north |
| Terrain: |
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest,
lowlands in south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron,
kaolin, fish (Lake Chad) |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 2.78%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 97.2% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
200 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust
plagues |
| Environment
- current issues: |
inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural
areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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 |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
|
| Population: |
9,253,493 (July 2003 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
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.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 16 years
male: 15.2 years
female: 16.8 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.07% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
47.06 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
16.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 95.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 86.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 105 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 48.51 years
male: 46.97 years
female: 50.1 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.44 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
3.6% 5%-7% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
150,000 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
14,000 (confirmed AIDS cases, actual number far higher but difficult
to estimate) (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Chadian(s)
adjective: Chadian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
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 |
| Religions: |
Muslim 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7% |
| Languages: |
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120
different languages and dialects |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or
Arabic
total population: 47.5%
male: 56%
female: 39.3% (2003 est.)
|
| Economy
- overview: |
Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by
major oilfield and pipeline projects that began in 2000. Over 80% of
Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and stock raising for
its livelihood. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's
export earnings, but Chad will begin to export oil in 2004. Chad's economy
has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs,
and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and
foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects.
A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion
to develop oil reserves estimated at 1 billion barrels in southern Chad.
Oil production is scheduled to come on stream in late 2003. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $10 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
11.3% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 38%
industry: 13%
services: 49% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
80% (2001 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture more than 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
|
| Unemployment
rate: |
NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues: $198 million
expenditures: $218 million, including capital expenditures of
$146 million (1998 est.) |
| Industries: |
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate),
soap, cigarettes, construction materials |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
5% (1995) |
| Electricity
- production: |
94.04 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
87.46 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil
- production: |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
1,500 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
NA (2001) |
| Oil
- imports: |
NA (2001) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca);
cattle, sheep, goats, camels |
| Exports: |
$197 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
cotton, cattle, gum arabic |
| Exports
- partners: |
Portugal 28%, Germany 15%, France 7%, Poland 6% (2001) |
| Imports: |
$570 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, petroleum
products, foodstuffs, textiles |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 38%, France 26%, Cameroon 8%, Nigeria 5% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$1.1 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$238.3 million; note - $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997);
$30 million committed by African Development Bank; ODA $150 million
|
| Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority
is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Currency
code: |
XAF |
| Exchange
rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 696.988
(2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999), 589.952 (1998)
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| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
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