fair system; network relies primarily on radio relay links, with low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication also used; 6,000 telephones; stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Central African Armed Forces, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15–49, 659,802; 345,049 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Chad *Geography #_Total area: 1,284,000 km2; land area: 1,259,200 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 5,968 km total; 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: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_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: crude oil (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 36%; forest and woodland 11%; other 51%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_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
_*People #_Population: 5,122,467 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male, 41 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Chadian(s); adjective—Chadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French
_#_Religion: Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism 23%
_#_Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
_#_Literacy: 30% (male 42%, female 18%) age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) 85%
_#_Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Chad
_#_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
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of State (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: the National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif) was disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by the Provisional Council of the Republic; 30 members appointed by President DEBY on 8 March 1991
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Col. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jean LINGUE Bawoyeu (since 8 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former dissident group), Idriss DEBY, chairman; President DEBY has promised political pluralism, a new constitution, and free elections by September 1993; numerous dissident groups
_#_Suffrage: universal at age NA
_#_Elections:
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 Consultative Council—last held 8 July 1990; disbanded 3 December 1990
_#_Communists: no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_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,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at 2002 R Steet NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462–4009;
US—Ambassador Richard W. BOGOSIAN; Embassy at Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone [235] (51) 62–18, 40–09
_#_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
_*Economy #_Overview: The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources potential make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is
