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 the 100,000 km2 Aozou                       
Strip in the far north; demarcation of international boundaries in              
Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past,           
is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and            
Nigeria                                                                         
                                                                                
Climate: tropical in south, desert in north                                     
                                                                                
Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains               
in northwest, lowlands in south                                                 
                                                                                
Natural resources: crude oil (unexploited but exploration                       
beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)                           
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and                    
pastures 36%; forest and woodland 11%; other 51%; includes irrigated            
NEGL%                                                                           
                                                                                
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: 5,122,467 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)                      
                                                                                
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)                       
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                      
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male, 41 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian                               
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are             
Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi,            
Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims             
(Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) in the south;        
some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French                            
                                                                                
Religion: Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism                
23%                                                                             
                                                                                
Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south;                
more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken                       
                                                                                
Literacy: 30% (male 42%, female 18%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)                                     
                                                                                
Labor force: NA; agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence                     
farming, herding, and fishing) 85%                                              
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, suspended 3 December 1990;                      
Provisional National Charter 1 March 1991                                       
                                                                                
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian                      
customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction                     
                                                                                
National holiday: NA                                                            
                                                                                
Executive branch: president, Council of State (cabinet)                         
                                                                                
Legislative branch: the National Consultative Council (Conseil                  
National Consultatif) was disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by             
the Provisional Council of the Republic; 30 members appointed by                
President DEBY on 8 March 1991                                                  
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal                                                
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--Col. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990);                       
                                                                                
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jean LINGUE Bawoyeu                          
(since 8 March 1991)                                                            
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS;               
former dissident group), Idriss DEBY, chairman; President DEBY has              
promised political pluralism, a new constitution, and free elections by         
September 1993; numerous dissident groups                                       
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age NA                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
President--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA);                     
results--President Hissein HABRE was elected without opposition;                
note--the government of then President HABRE fell on 1 December 1990            
and Idriss DEBY seized power on 3 December 1990;                                
                                                                                
National Consultative Council--last held 8 July 1990;                           
disbanded 3 December 1990                                                       
                                                                                
Communists: no front organizations or underground party; probably a             
few Communists and some sympathizers                                            
Other political or pressure groups: NA                                          
                                                                                
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77,                   
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,          
IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,                      
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO                                                   
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery               
at 2002 R Steet NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-4009;              
                                                                                
US--Ambassador Richard W. BOGOSIAN; Embassy at Avenue Felix                     
Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone           
 235  (51) 62-18, 40-09                                                         
                                                                                
Flag: 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                      
                                                                                
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 burdened by               
the ravages of 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 48% 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 highly               
dependent on foreign aid, with its economy in trouble and many regions          
suffering from shortages. Oil companies are exploring areas north of            
Lake Chad and in the Doba basin in the south.                                   
                                                                                
GDP: $1,015 million, per capita $205; real growth rate 0.9% (1989               
est.)                                                                           
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 4.9% (1989)                                 
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: NA                                                           
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $78 million; expenditures $127 million, not                    
including capital expenditures that are mostly financed by foreign              
aid donors (1989 est.)                                                          
                                                                                
Exports: $174 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--cotton 48%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish;                         
                                                                                
partners--France, Nigeria, Cameroon                                             
                                                                                
Imports: $264 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 39%,                        
industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%;                    
note--excludes military equipment;                                              
                                                                                
partners--US, France, Nigeria, Cameroon                                         
                                                                                
External debt: $530 million (December 1990 est.)                                
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (1989 est.); accounts for              
nearly 15% of GDP                                                               
                                                                                
Electricity: 38,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 14 kWh                
per capita (1989)                                                               
                                                                                
Industries: cotton textile mills, slaughterhouses, brewery, natron              
(sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes                                            
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for about 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                   
                                                                                
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $198                   
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments          
(1970-88), $1.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million;             
Communist countries (1970-89), $80 million                                      
                                                                                
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc                                 
(plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes                             
                                                                                
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF)                   
per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (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: 70 total, 54 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;                
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 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: Patriotic Salvation Force (FPS; Army, Air Force),                     
paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police                                       
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,188,222; 616,932 fit for                  
military service; 51,713 reach military age (20) annually                       
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $39 million, 4.3% of GDP (1988)                           
                                                                                
