Cheetah status |
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Population. Possibly a
small population still exists in the Tibesti Highlands where prey species still
are abundant, and there may also be a small population in Ennedi mountains. As of 1975, there was a small population of
cheetah in the Zakouma National Park.
Principal
Threats. Changing climate conditions have reduced the
carrying capacity of the land and have over-burdened the sensitive environment. Currently, the many years of war have armed
the general population, which puts all wildlife in danger of poaching for food
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Background: Chad, part of France's African holdings until
1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya
before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government
eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential
elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad,
which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the
government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan
and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of
an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum
successfully removing constitutional term limits
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Geography |
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Area: total:
1.284 million sq km; land: 1,259,200 sq km; water: 24,800 sq km
Climate: tropical in south, desert
in north
Terrain: broad,
arid 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
Land use: arable
land: 2.8%; permanent crops: 0.02%; other:
97.18% (2005)
Irrigated land: 300 sq km
(2003)
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, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
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![](chad/chad-geography.gif)
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![](chad/Chad_sat.jpg)
Satellite image of Chad.
The country is divided into three distinct zones, from the
Sudanian savanna in the south to the Sahara Desert in the north. |
People |
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![](chad/chad-pop.jpg)
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Population: 9,944,201
(July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14
years: 47.9% (male 2,396,393/female 2,369,261); 15-64
years: 49.3% (male 2,355,940/female 2,550,535);
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 107,665/female 164,407) (2006 est.)
Median age: total:
16 years; male: 15.3 years; female: 16.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.93%
(2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total:
91.45 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 100.12 deaths/1,000 live births; female:
82.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total
population: 47.52 years; male: 45.88 years; female:
49.21 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.25
children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.8%
(2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 200,000
(2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 18,000 (2003 est.) |
![](chad/ethnics-chad Kopie.gif) |
Ethnic
groups: 200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs,
Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai,
Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south:
Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are
Christian or animist; about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad
Religions: Muslim
51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7%
Languages: French
(official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different
languages and dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic; total
population: 47.5%; male: 56%;female: 39.3% (2003 est.) |
Government |
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Data Code:
TD
Government type: republic
Independence: 11 August
1960 (from France)
Legal system: based on
French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
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Economy |
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![](chad/economy-chad Kopie.gif)
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Economy - overview: Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to
be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that
began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and
livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has long been handicapped
by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability.
Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and
private sector investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has
been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion
barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves has been estimated
to be 2 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in late 2003. Chad began
to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of
Chad's non-oil export earnings.
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GDP - real growth rate: 7% (2006
est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture:
32.5%; industry: 26.6%; services: 40.8% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 2.719
million (1993)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture:
80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing); industry and services:
20%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Population below poverty line: 80%
(2001 est.)
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Agriculture - products: cotton,
sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep,
goats, camels
Industries: oil,
cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap,
cigarettes, construction materials Industrial production
growth rate: 5% (1995)
Exports: $4.342
billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: cotton,
cattle, gum arabic, oil
Exports - partners: US 78.1%,
China 9.9%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $823.1
million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery
and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
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![](chad/chad-livestock.jpg)
Distribution
of bovine livestock in Chad
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Imports
- partners: France 21.2%, Cameroon 15.5%, US 12.1%, Belgium 6.8%,
Portugal 4.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005)
Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF);
note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
dollar - 508.494 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99
(2002) |
Communication |
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Telephone system: general
assessment: primitive system; domestic: fair system of
radiotelephone communication stations; international: country code -
235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM
2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2002) ;
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002)
Internet country code:
.td
Internet hosts: 9 (2006)
Internet users: 35,000 (2005)
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