CHAD. Republic of Chad
A country in Central Africa. Former French colony. Borders Sudan, Libya, the Central African Republic, Niger, Cameroon.
Area - 1,284,000 km². Capital - N'Djamena (approx. 1 million). Administrative division - 14 prefectures. Population - 8.2 million. Official languages - French and Arabic. Religion: about 52% of the country's population are Muslims, 23% are Christians, the rest adhere to local traditional beliefs. Currency - CFA franc (1 euro = 656 CFA francs).
Has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on November 24, 1964).
National holiday - August 11 - Independence Day (1960).
Before the arrival of Europeans, several state formations existed in the territory of modern Republic of Chad, among which the largest were Cao (5th century BC - 15th century), Kanem (9th-19th centuries), Borno (15th-19th centuries), Wadai (16th-19th centuries), Bagirmi (16th-19th centuries). The conquest of the territory around Lake Chad by Europeans began after the establishment of the French colony of Ubangi-Shari in 1894. In 1904, France announced the creation of a new colony, Ubangi-Shari - Chad. In 1910, the Federation of French Equatorial Africa (FEA) was formed. In 1914, Chad again became a separate colony. On August 11, 1960, the country gained independence and was proclaimed a republic.
Chad is a republic. The President is Idriss Déby (since 1991, re-elected for another 5-year term in 2001), who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Prime Minister is Pascal Yoadimnadji (appointed in February 2005). The highest legislative body is the National Assembly (155 deputies). The ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement won a convincing victory in the parliamentary elections (April 2002) with 112 deputies.
The largest political parties are the Patriotic Salvation Movement (ruling) and the Union for Democracy and Progress. The parliament also includes the Union for Revival and Democracy, the Front for Action for the Republic, the National Union for Development and Renewal, and others.
For a long time, Idriss Déby's administration faced anti-government activities from the opposition, including armed resistance. As a result of a consistent policy of national reconciliation, N'Djamena managed to reduce tensions in several regions of the country and normalize relations with neighboring states, whose territories were used by the armed opposition to destabilize the regime. In November 1998, in the northern mountainous region of Tibesti, the opposition Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ) launched an armed rebellion, led by former Minister of Defense of Chad Y. Togoi. In January 2002, an agreement was signed in Tripoli between the government of Chad and MDJ leaders, providing for a ceasefire and mutual renunciation of hostile actions. In January 2003, a similar document was signed with another armed opposition movement - the National Resistance Alliance, operating on the border with Sudan. On May 17, 2004, there was an attempted military coup within the presidential guard of Chad. However, units loyal to the president restored constitutional order. No repressive measures or widespread arrests among the conspirators were carried out. In May 2004, the parliament of Chad approved a law amending the 1996 constitution. The adopted amendments lifted the limitation on the presidency to two terms, abolished the upper house of parliament - the Senate, and created the Council for Social, Economic, and Cultural Development.
Chad is one of the poorest African countries. Chad's GDP in 2004 amounted to 3.6 billion euros, with an annual income per capita of 440 euros. With the start of oil production in Chad, GDP grew by 42.4% in 2004, including a 355.3% increase in the oil sector. The country's external debt is 1.2 billion euros. In 2004, the volume of external aid from foreign creditors to Chad amounted to 263.2 million euros. Only 1% of the population has access to electricity, and only 29% have free access to drinking water.
The backbone of the economy is agriculture (40% of GDP), with the leading sectors being cotton cultivation and livestock farming.
Cotton production in 2003 amounted to 165,500 tons, and the total livestock population was 16 million heads.
Chad's industry (share in GDP - 14%) remains in its infancy. The country has deposits of bauxite, uranium, tin, tungsten, and large oil fields have been discovered (explored reserves - 900 million barrels). In October 2003, the Doba - Kribi oil pipeline was officially put into operation (passing through Cameroon to the Atlantic Ocean coast). In 2004, the export of Chadian oil began, amounting to 65.5 million barrels.
Main export items: cotton, cattle, gum arabic (Chad is one of the largest exporters of it in the world), peanuts, fabrics; imports - petroleum products, food, consumer goods. In monetary terms, exports amount to 196 million dollars, imports - 775 million dollars.
Main foreign trade partners: France, Germany, Taiwan, the USA, Libya, Nigeria, Cameroon. The volume of foreign direct investment in 2002 amounted to 901 million dollars, which was related to the development of the Doba oil field by an American-Malaysian consortium and the construction of the Doba - Kribi oil pipeline.
The internal road system is poorly developed. The total length of roads is 32,000 km (according to other data - more than 40,000 km), of which 7,000 km are paved, and 2,000 km are suitable for year-round use. There are no railways in Chad. Waterways for cargo transportation within the country are used irregularly, as the Logone and Chari rivers are navigable only about 3 months a year. During the rainy season, the capital and prefectures are cut off from each other. The international airport is in N'Djamena.
International telephone and telex communication is carried out through Paris; in the capital of Chad, there is a ground station for satellite communication. National radio broadcasts in 5 of the most widely spoken languages in the country (French, Arabic, and three local languages). Television has existed since 1987, but broadcasts are only received in the capital and its suburbs. The Chad Press Agency publishes its daily information bulletin "Info-Chad".
The most popular periodicals include "N'Djamena - Hebdo", "Progress", "Contact", "Patriot", and others.