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 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste
disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution;
desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north;
periodic droughts; locust plagues
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the
Sahel
@Chad:People
Population: 5,586,505 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (female 1,198,619; male 1,267,470)
15-64 years: 54% (female 1,563,678; male 1,456,481)
65 years and over: 2% (female 71,971; male 28,286) (July 1995 est.)