title
macrohistory & world report

Chad

Map of Chad

Chad (its capital N'Djamena) and neighboring states

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons: chart

World Factbook: "Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. At least 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood."

Economic growth rate
2011: 2.5%
2010: 13%
2009: minus 1.2%

Labor force in agriclture
2006: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

Export commodities
Oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic

Export partners
2009: US 71.9%, China 16.9%, Netherlands 4.6%

Export/Import ratio
2011: exports $4.088 billion, imports $3.546 billion

Health expenditures
2009: 7% of GDP

People

Camel trains are being replaced by trucks.

Living in an urban area:
2010: 28%

According to the BBC in 2006, only 3 percent of the population has access to electricity.

Ethnic groups
1993 census: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3%

Religions
1993 census: Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1%

Net migration rate
2011: Net loss of 3.74 persons for every 1,000 population per year (about 41,000 persons).

Literacy (age 15 and over and can read and write
2000: males 40.8%, females 12.8

Net migration rate
2010: More people leaving than arriving. A net loss of 3.95 per 1,000 population.

Geography

Central Africa south of Libya. More than three times the size of California. Landlocked. Desert in the north, tropical in the south. Plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south. Natural resources: petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt. Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues.

Government

Chief of state: Idriss Déby (president) since 2 December 1990, Patriotic Salvation Movement. Head of government: Emmanuel Nadingar (prime minister) since 5 March 2007, Patriotic Salvation Movement.

Recent History

2004: A report published by the BBC describes Chad as among the four lowest ranking of 28 African countries regarding trust in authorities. The poll is by the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Among the complaints are . "corruption, poor tax systems, run-down and unaccountable public services, weak parliaments and unreformed courts."

Copyright © 2009-2011 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.