Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 36% forests and woodland: 26% other: 35% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 140 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Environment-current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography-note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
@Chad:People
Population: 7,359,512 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,631,010; female 1,623,272) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,903,012; female 1,982,257) 65 years and over: 3% (male 97,118; female 122,843) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.66% (1998 est.)