CHAD
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| (See reference map VII) |
LAND
1,284,640 km2; 17% arable, 35% pastureland, 2% forest and scrub, 46% other uses and waste
Land boundaries: 5,987 km
PEOPLE
Population: 4,852,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.3%; this estimate does not take into account migration between Cameroon and from Chad during recent years
Nationality: noun—Chadian(s); adjective—Chadian
Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, including Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Fulani, Kotoko, Hausa, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Mayo-Kebbi, and Chari) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, 3,000 of them French
Religion: about half Muslim, 5% Christian, remainder animist
Language: French official; Chadian Arabic is lingua franca in north, Sara and Sangho in south
Literacy: estimated 5%-10%
Labor force: only 55% of population in economically active group, of which 90% are engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing; 50,000 wage earners in industry and civil service
Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Chad
Type: republic; transitional Government of National Unity
Capital: N'Djamena
Political subdivisions: 14 prefectures
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; constitution adopted 1962; constitution suspended and National Assembly dissolved April 1975; judicial review of legislative acts in theory a power of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: 13 April
Branches: presidency; Council of Ministers
Government leaders: President GOUKOUNI Weddeye; Vice President Lt. Col KAMOUGUE Wadal Abdel Kader; Minister of Defense Adoum TOGOI; Foreign Minister ACYL Ahmat
Suffrage: universal
Elections: none planned pending OAU efforts to encourage reconciliation among Chad's feuding factions
Political parties and leaders: political parties banned
Communists: no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: the development of a stable government will be hampered by prolonged tribal and regional antagonisms of the numerous factions now ruling Chad and by insurgent forces of rebel leader Hissein Habre
Member of: AFDB, CEAO, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EEC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
ECONOMY
GDP: $500 million (1980), $109 per capita; estimated real annual growth rate 0.6% (1971-81)
Agriculture: commercial—cotton, gum arabic, livestock, fish; food crops—peanuts, millet, sorghum, rice, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, dates; imports food
Fishing: catch 70,000 metric tons (1978 est.)
Major industries: agricultural and livestock processing plants (cotton textile mill, slaughterhouses, brewery), natron
Electric power: 38,000 kW capacity (1980); 63 million kWh produced (1980), 13 kWh per capita
Exports: $90.5 million (f.o.b., 1978 est.); cotton 80%, livestock and animal products
Imports: $179.6 million (f.o.b., 1978 est); cement, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery, textiles, and motor vehicles
Major trade partners: France (about 40% in 1973) and UDEAC countries; preferential tariffs to EC and franc zone countries
Budget: (1978 est.) public revenue $67.4 million, current revenue $89.0 million
Monetary conversion rate: 212.72 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$1 (1979)
Fiscal year: calendar year
