*Central African Republic, Defense Forces
Branches:
Central African Army (including Republican Guard), Air Force, National
Gendarmerie, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 685,575; fit for military service 358,836 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.)
*Chad, Geography
Location:
Central Africa, between the Central African Republic and Libya
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area: total area:
1.284 million km2
land area:
1,259,200 km2
comparative area:
slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries:
total 5,968 km, 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:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International 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:
petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin,
fish (Lake Chad)
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
36%
forest and woodland:
11%
other:
51%
Irrigated land:
100 km2 (1989 est.)
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
*Chad, People
Population:
5,350,971 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.13% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
42.21 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 20.93 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
134 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
40.41 years
male:
39.36 years
female:
41.5 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.33 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Chadian(s)
adjective:
Chadian
Ethnic divisions:
north and center:
Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi,
Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba)
south:
non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa)
nonindigenous 150,000, of whom 1,000 are French
Religions:
Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism 23%
Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), Sango (in south),
more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic (1990)
total population:
30%
male:
42%
female:
18%
Labor force:
NA
by occupation:
agriculture 85% (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and
fishing)
*Chad, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Chad
conventional short form:
Chad
local long form:
Republique du Tchad local short form:
Tchad
Digraph:
CD
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; national conference drafting new constitution to submit to
referendum January 1993
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
11 August
Political parties and leaders:
Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former dissident group), Idriss DEBY,
chairman
note:
President DEBY has promised political pluralism, a new constitution, and
free elections by September 1993; numerous dissident groups; 26 opposition
political parties
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Suffrage:
universal at age NA
Elections:
National Consultative Council:
last held 8 July 1990; disbanded 3 December 1990
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 conference opened 15 January 1993; election to
follow by end of year
Executive branch:
president, Council of State (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif) was
disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by the Provisional Council of the
Republic, with 30 members appointed by President DEBY on 8 March 1991
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
*Chad, Government
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Col. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Joseph YODOYMAN (since NA August 1992)
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, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kombaria Loumaye MEKONYO
chancery:
2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 462-4009
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard W. BOGOSIAN
embassy:
Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena
mailing address:
B. P. 413, N'Djamena
telephone:
[235] (51) 62-18, 40-09, or 51-62-11
FAX:
[235] 51-33-72
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