National name:  République du Tchad

Current government officials:  President: Idriss Déby (1990)

                                                        Prime Minister: Youssouf Saleh Abbas (2008)

Government Branches:  Executive, Legislative, Judicial

Land area:   486,178 sq mi (1,259,201 sq km); total area: 495,755 sq mi (1,284,000 sq km), water: 24,800 sq km

Border countries:  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

Climate:  Tropical in south, desert in north

Population (2008 est.):  10,111,337 (growth rate: 2.1%); birth rate: 41.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 100.3/1000;

                                           life expectancy: 47.4; density per sq mi: 8

Age structure:  0-14 years: 47% (male 2,408,638/female 2,346,984) 
                           15-64 years: 50.1% (male 2,317,406/female 2,746,104) 
                            65 years and over: 2.9% (male 123,561/female 168,644) (2008 est.)

Median age:  Total: 16.4 years 
                         male: 15.2 years
                         female: 17.5 years (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS:  Adult prevalence rate : 4.8% (2003 est.)

Capital and largest city (2003 est.):  N'Djamena, population 609,600

Monetary unit:   CFA Franc
 
Languages:  French, Arabic (both official); Sara; more than 120 languages and dialects

Ethnicity/race:  200 distinct groups

                            North and center: mostly Muslim: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa,

                                        Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba

                            South: mostly Christian or animist: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, 

                                        Massa

Flag description:  Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red 
                                  note: similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both

                                  of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on

                                  the flag of France

National Holiday:  Independence Day, August 11

Religions:  Islam 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7%

Literacy rate:  25.7% (2006 est.)

Economic summary:

GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $15.9 billion; per capita $1,200. Real growth rate: 0.6%. Inflation: -8.8%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels. Labor force: n.a.; agriculture 80%; industry and services 20% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing). Industries: oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials. Natural resources: petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt. Exports: $4.342 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.): cotton, cattle, gum arabic, oil. Imports: $823.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.): machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles. Major trading partners: U.S., China, Portugal, France, Cameroon, Germany, Belgium (2004).

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

              Refugees and country of origin:  238,227 (Sudan, 2008), 44,607 (Central African Republic, 2008)

              Internally Displaced Persons: 178,918 (2008)