make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is hobbled by political turmoil, drought, and food shortages. Consequently the economy has shown little progress in recent years in overcoming a severe setback brought on by civil war in the late 1980s. More than 80% of the work force is involved in subsistence farming and fishing. Cotton is the major cash crop, accounting for at least half of exports. Chad is highly dependent on foreign aid, especially food credits, given chronic shortages in several regions. Of all the Francophone countries in Africa, Chad has benefited the least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies on 12 January 1994. Despite an increase in external financial aid and favorable price increases for cotton - the primary source of foreign exchange - the corrupt and enfeebled government bureaucracy continues to postpone payment of public sector salaries and to dampen economic enterprise by neglecting payments to domestic suppliers. The devaluation resulted in stepped-up inflation of 41% in 1994; in contrast to other Francophone countries, Chad continued to suffer high inflation in 1995 because of the government's lack of financial discipline. Oil production in the Lake Chad area remains a distant prospect and the subsistence-driven economy probably will continue to limp along in the near term.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
GDP per capita: $600 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 49% industry: 17% services: 34%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 41% (1994 est.)
Labor force: NA
by occupation: agriculture 85% (subsistence farming, herding, and
fishing)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $120 million
expenditures: $363 million, including capital expenditures of $104
million (1992 est.)
Industries: cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron
(sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: capacity: 40,000 kW production: 80 million kWh consumption per capita: 13 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Exports: $132 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: cotton, cattle, textiles, fish partners: France, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Sudan, Central African Republic
Imports: $201 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%; textiles; note - excludes military equipment partners: US, France, Nigeria, Cameroon, Italy, Germany
External debt: $757 million (December 1993 )
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: CFA Francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January
1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992),
282.11 (1991)
note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF
100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since
1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation———————
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 31,141 km paved: 32 km unpaved: 31,109 km (1987 est.)
Waterways: 2,000 km navigable
Ports: none
Airports:
total: 47
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 11
with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 18 (1995 est.)
Communications———————
Telephones: 5,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: primitive system domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1987 est.) note: limited TV service; many facilities are inoperative
Televisions: 7,000 (1991 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Armed Forces (includes Ground Force, Air Force, and
Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Police
Manpower availability: males age 15–49: 1,562,052 males fit for military service: 809,210 males reach military age (20) annually: 63,254 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $74 million, 11.1% of GDP (1994)
======================================================================
@Chile——
Map—
Location: 30 00 S, 71 00 W—Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Flag——
Description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center; design was based on the US flag
Geography————
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic
Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total area: 756,950 sq km
