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Background
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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 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.
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Area
total:
1.284 million sq km
comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of California
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Climate
Tropical in south, desert
in north
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Flag of Chad |
Terrain
Broad, arid plains in
center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
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.)
Natural Hazards
Hot, dry, dusty harmattan
winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Current
Environmental Issues
Inadequate supplies of
potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil
and water pollution; desertification
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.)
Infant Mortality Rate
total:
95.74 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at Birth
total population:
48.51 years
Fertility Rate
6.44 children born/woman
(2003 est.)
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.)
Population Below the Poverty Line
80% (2001 est.)
Telephones
9,700 (1999)
Radio Stations
AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5
(2002)
Television Stations
1 (2002)
Railways
0 km
Highways
total:
33,400 km
paved: 450 km
note: probably no more than 8,000 km of the total receive
maintenance, the remainder being desert tracks
unpaved: 32,950 km
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