Natural resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under
way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
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
People
Population: 7,557,436 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,675,394; female 1,667,717)
15-64 years: 53% (male 1,953,251; female 2,034,883)
65 years and over: 3% (male 99,783; female 126,408) (1999 est.)