National name
République du Tchad
Capital and largest city (2003 est.)
N'Djamena, population 609,600
Monetary unit
CFA Franc
Languages
French, Arabic (both official); Sara; more than 120 languages and dialects
Current government officials
President: Idriss Déby (1990)
Prime Minister: Youssouf Saleh Abbas (2008)
Government Branches
Executive, Legislative, Judicial
Political parties
- Federation Action for the Republic or FAR
- National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP
- National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR
- Party for Liberty and Development or PLD
- Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS
- Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP
- Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD
Land area
486,178 sq mi (1,259,201 sq km)
Total area: 495,755 sq mi (1,284,000 sq km)
Water: 24,800 sq 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
Climate
Tropical in south, desert in north
Population (2008 est.)
10,111,337 (growth rate: 2.1%)
birth rate: 41.6/1000
infant mortality rate: 100.3/1000
life expectancy: 47.4
density per sq mi: 8
Age structure
0-14 years: 47% (male 2,408,638/female 2,346,984)
15-64 years: 50.1% (male 2,317,406/female 2,746,104)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 123,561/female 168,644) (2008 est.)
Median age
Total: 16.4 years
male: 15.2 years
female: 17.5 years (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS
Adult prevalence rate : 4.8% (2003 est.)
Ethnicity/race
200 distinct groups
North and center
Mostly Muslim: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba.
South
Mostly Christian or animist: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa.
Flag description
Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red.
Note: similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France.
National Holiday
Independence Day, August 11
Religions
Islam 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7%
Literacy rate
25.7% (2006 est.)
Economic summary
GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $15.9 billion; per capita $1,200.
Real growth rate: 0.6%.
Inflation: -8.8%.
Unemployment: N/A
Arable land: 3%.
Agriculture: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels.
Labor force: N/A
Agriculture 80%
Industry and services 20% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing).
Industries: oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials.
Natural resources: petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt.
Exports: $4.342 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.): cotton, cattle, gum arabic, oil.
Imports: $823.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.): machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles.
Major trading partners: U.S., China, Portugal, France, Cameroon, Germany, Belgium (2004).
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees and country of origin: 238,227 (Sudan, 2008), 44,607 (Central African Republic, 2008)
Internally Displaced Persons: 178,918 (2008)