]! ^! Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits. 
]" ^" Central Africa, south of Libya ^# 15 00 N, 19 00 E ^$ Africa ^% `! 1.284 million sq km `" 1,259,200 sq km `# 24,800 sq km ^& slightly more than three times the size of California ^' `! 5,968 km `Y 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 ^( 0 km (landlocked) ^) none (landlocked) ^* tropical in south, desert in north ^+ broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south ^, `% Djourab Depression 160 m `& Emi Koussi 3,415 m ^- petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt ^. `' 2.8% `( 0.02% `) 97.18% (2005) ^/ 300 sq km (2003) ^0 hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues ^1 inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands `Q Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping ^2 landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel 
]# ^3 9,885,661 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 47.3% (male 2,366,496/female 2,308,155) `, 49.8% (male 2,250,211/female 2,676,076) `- 2.9% (male 120,666/female 164,057) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 16.3 years `. 15 years `/ 17.4 years (2007 est.) ^6 2.32% (2007 est.) ^7 42.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 16.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 -2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.04 male(s)/female `1 1.025 male(s)/female `, 0.841 male(s)/female `- 0.736 male(s)/female `2 0.92 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 102.07 deaths/1,000 live births `. 108.27 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 95.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 47.2 years `. 46.17 years `/ 48.27 years (2007 est.) ^= 5.56 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 4.8% (2003 est.) ^? 200,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 18,000 (2003 est.) _` `h very high `i bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis `s meningococcal meningitis (2007) ^A `3 Chadian(s) `4 Chadian ^B 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 ^C Muslim 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7% ^D French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic `2 47.5% `. 56% `/ 39.3% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Republic of Chad `7 Chad `Z Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad `[ Tchad/Tshad ^H republic ^I `8 N'Djamena `9 12 07 N, 15 03 E `: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^J 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 `* instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department) and 1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera, Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam, N'Djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile Occidental, Tibesti ^K 11 August 1960 (from France) ^L Independence Day, 11 August (1960) ^M passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed constitutional term limits ^N based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno (since 4 December 1990) `< Prime Minister Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE (since 26 February 2007) `= Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister `> president elected by popular vote to serve five-year term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second round of voting; last held 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011); prime minister appointed by the president `? Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%, Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection ^Q bicameral according to constitution, consists of a National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified, members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable every two years) `> National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held by April 2007) `? percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11 ^R Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts ^S Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [Jean ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE] ^T NA ^U ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR `S 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 `T [1] (202) 462-4009 `U [1] (202) 265-1937 ^W `R Ambassador Marc M. WALL `_ Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena `` B. P. 413, N'Djamena `T [235] 516-211 `U [235] 515-654 ^X three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; 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 
]% ^Y Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. 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. The nation's total oil reserves have been estimated to be 2 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings. ^Z $15.26 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $5.255 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 7% (2006 est.) ^] $1,500 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 32.5% `A 26.6% `B 40.8% (2006 est.) ^_ 2.719 million (1993) ^` `@ 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) industry and services: 20% ^a NA% _! 80% (2001 est.) _" `C NA% `D NA% _# 4% (2006 est.) _V 9.2% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $617.3 million `F $877.6 million; including capital expenditures of $146 million (2006 est.) _& cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels _' oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials _( 5% (1995) _) 94 million kWh (2004) _* 87.42 million kWh (2004) _+ 0 kWh (2004) _, 0 kWh (2004) _- 225,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) _. 1,460 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _W 2 billion bbl (2005) _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-324.1 million (2006 est.) _3 $4.342 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 cotton, cattle, gum arabic, oil _5 US 78.1%, China 9.9%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005) _6 $823.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles _8 France 21.2%, Cameroon 15.4%, US 12.1%, Belgium 6.7%, Portugal 4.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005) _[ $352.8 million (2006 est.) _9 $1.5 billion (2003 est.) _: ODA, $246.9 million (2003 est.) _; Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States _< Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 13,000 (2004) _? 210,000 (2005) _@ `G primitive system `H fair system of radiotelephone communication stations `I country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _A AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2002) _B 1 (2002) _C .td _D 9 (2006) _E 35,000 (2005) 
]' _F 52 (2006) _G `! 7 `a 2 `J 3 `b 1 `W 1 (2006) _R `! 45 `b 14 `c 21 `W 10 (2006) _^ oil 205 km (2006) _H `! 33,400 km `K 267 km `L 33,133 km (1999) _b Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2002) 
]( _J Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale Tchadienne, ANT), Chadian Air Force (Force Aerienne Tchadienne, FAT), Gendarmerie (2007) _T 20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004) _K males age 20-49: 1,527,580 females age 20-49: 1,629,510 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 794,988 females age 20-49: 849,500 (2005 est.) _L males age 18-49: 94,536 females age 20-49: 93,521 (2005 est.) _U 4.6% (2006 est.) 
]) _N since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries _c `o 234,000 (Sudan), 41,246 (Central African Republic) `k 100,000 (2006) 