NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Chad

Chad (French: Tchad; Arabic: تشاد‎), officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa". Chad is divided into three major geographical regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanese savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. Chad's highest peak is the Emi Koussi in the Sahara, and N'Djamena, the capital, is the largest city. Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. French and Arabic are the official languages. Islam is the most widely practiced religion. Chad can mean several things, including: Chad, the African country. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chad. ... Image File history File links Chad_coa. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The national flag of the Republic of Chad is a vertical tricolor consisting (left to right) of a blue, a yellow and a red field. ... The Coat of Arms of Chad was adopted in 1970. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... La Tchadienne is the national anthem of Chad. ... Image File history File links LocationChad. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Demographics of Chad, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... NDjamena, Â«ehn JAHM uh nuhÂ», population 721,000 (2005), is the capital of Chad. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Arabic redirects here. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... List of Heads of State of Chad (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Affiliations:- See also:- Chad Heads of Government of Chad Colonial Heads of Chad lists of incumbents Categories: Lists of office-holders ... Lieutenant General Idriss DÃ©by Itno (born in Fada in 1952) is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. ... The Prime Minister is the Chadian head of government. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different surface areas here is a list of areas between 1 million kmÂ² and 10 million kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... ISO 4217 Code XAF User(s) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon Pegged with euro = CFA655. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving West Africa Time, or WAT, is a time zone used in western and west-central Africa (though not in countries west of Benin, which instead use GMT). ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .td is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Chad. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Landlocked countries of the world according to The World Factbook. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about grassland. ... Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Emi Koussi is a high volcano that lies at the south end of the Tibesti Mountains in the central Sahara of northern Chad. ... NDjamena, Â«ehn JAHM uh nuhÂ», population 721,000 (2005), is the capital of Chad. ... This is an incomplete list of ethnic groups in Chad (see also Demographics of Chad). ... Chad has two official languages, French and literary Arabic, and over 120 indigenous languages. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

Beginning in the 7th millennium BC, human populations moved into the Chadian basin in great numbers. By the end of the 1st millennium BC, a series of states and empires rose and fell in Chad's Sahelian strip, each focused on controlling the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region. France conquered the territory by 1920 and incorporated it as part of French Equatorial Africa. In 1960 Chad obtained independence under the leadership of François Tombalbaye. Resentment towards his policies in the Muslim north culminated in the eruption of a long-lasting civil war in 1965. In 1979 the rebels conquered the capital and put an end to the south's hegemony. However, the rebel commanders fought amongst themselves until Hissène Habré defeated his rivals. He was overthrown in 1990 by his general Idriss Déby. Recently, the Darfur crisis in Sudan has spilt over the border and destabilised the nation. The Great Mosque of DjennÃ©, founded in 800, an important trading base, now a World Heritage Site Trans-Saharan trade, refers to trade across the Sahara between Mediterranean countries and West Africa. ... Location of French Equatorial Africa. ... FranÃ§ois (Ngarta) Tombalbaye (June 15, 1918 - April 13, 1975) was the first president of Chad. ... The president FranÃ§ois Tombalbaye faced a task of considerable magnitude when Chad became a sovereign state in 1960. ... The Transitional Government of National Unity (Gouvernement dUnion Nationale de Transition or GUNT) was the coalition government of armed groups that nominally ruled Chad from 1979 to 1982, during the most anarchic phase of the long-going civil war that began in 1965. ... HissÃ¨ne HabrÃ© (born 1942), also spelled Hissen HabrÃ©, was the leader of Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990. ... Lieutenant General Idriss DÃ©by Itno (born in Fada in 1952) is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. ... Combatants JEM factions NRF alliance Janjaweed SLM (Minnawi) Sudan African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Commanders Ibrahim Khalil Ahmed Diraige Omar al-Bashir Minni Minnawi Luke Aprezi Strength N/A N/A 7,000 The Darfur conflict is a crisis in the... Combatants United Front for Democratic Change Janjaweed Allegedly supported by: Sudan Chad, Alliance of Revolutionary Forces of West Sudan Commanders Mohammed Nour (UFDC) Idriss DÃ©by Strength Unknown UFDC forces[1] ~23,000 est. ...

While many political parties are active, power lies firmly in the hands of President Déby and his political party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Chad remains plagued by political violence and recurrent attempted coups d'état, and is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world; most Chadians live in poverty as subsistence herders and farmers. Since 2003 crude oil has become the country's primary source of export earnings, superseding the traditional cotton industry. A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ... Politics of Chad Categories: Politics stubs | Chad political parties ... Coup redirects here. ... Map of countries by 2006 GDP (nominal) per capita (IMF, October 2007). ... Overview of the index of perception of corruption, 2006 Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[1] ordering the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.[2] The organization defines corruption as... Petro redirects here. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ...

1 History
2 Politics and government
3 Humanitarian situation
4 Regions, departments, and sub-prefectures
5 Geography
6 Economy and infrastructure
7 Demographics
8 Culture
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Chad

In the 7th millennium BC, ecological conditions in the northern half of Chadian territory favored human settlement, and the region experienced a strong population increase. Some of the most important African archaeological sites are found in Chad, mainly in the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region; some date to earlier than 2,000 BC.^[1]^[2] For more than 2000 years, the Chadian Basin has been inhabited by agricultural and sedentary peoples. The region became a crossroads of civilizations. The earliest of these were the legendary Sao, known from artifacts and oral histories. The Sao fell to the Kanem Empire,^[3]^[4] the first and longest-lasting of the empires that developed in Chad's Sahelian strip by the end of the 1st millennium AD. The power of Kanem and its successors was based on control of the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region.^[2] These states, at least tacitly Muslim, never extended their control to the southern grasslands except to raid for slaves.^[5] // The territory now known as Chad possesses some of the richest archaeological sites in Africa. ... The continent of Africa has the longest record of human activity of any part of the world and along with its geographical extent, it contains an enormous archaeological resource. ... The Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti (BET) is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Faya-Largeau. ... The Sao or So were an African civilisation that flourished from ca. ... The Kanem Empire existed in modern Chad and Libya. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Great Mosque of DjennÃ©, founded in 800, an important trading base, now a World Heritage Site Trans-Saharan trade, refers to trade across the Sahara between Mediterranean countries and West Africa. ... Approximately 40% of all Africans are Muslims, in contrast to another 40% being Christians and 20% being non-religious or adherents to African religions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Islam and slavery. ...

French colonial expansion led to the creation of the Terretorie Military des Pays et Protectorats du Tchad in 1900. By 1920, France had secured full control of the colony and incorporated it as part of French Equatorial Africa.^[6] French rule in Chad was characterised by an absence of policies to unify the territory and sluggish modernisation. The French primarily viewed the colony as an unimportant source of untrained labour and raw cotton; France introduced large-scale cotton production in 1929. The colonial administration in Chad was critically understaffed and had to rely on the dregs of the French civil service. Only the south was governed effectively; French presence in the north and east was nominal. The educational system suffered from this neglect.^[2]^[7] After World War II, France granted Chad the status of overseas territory and its inhabitants the right to elect representatives to the French National Assembly and a Chadian assembly. The largest political party was the Chadian Progressive Party (PPT), based in the southern half of the colony. Chad was granted independence on August 11, 1960 with the PPT's leader, François Tombalbaye, as its first president.^[8]^[2]^[9] For the French colonial postage stamps, see French Colonies. ... Location of French Equatorial Africa. ... European interest in Africa generally grew during the 19th century. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The French Overseas Departments and Territories (French: dÃ©partements doutre-mer and collectivitÃ©s doutre-mer or DOM-COM) consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of Europe. ... The Palais Bourbon, front The French National Assembly (French: ) is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. ... The National Assembly (AssemblÃ©e Nationale) is the parliament of Chad. ... The Chadian Progressive Party (Parti Progressiste Tchadien or PPT) was the first African political party created in Chad, active from 1946 to 1973. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... FranÃ§ois (Ngarta) Tombalbaye (June 15, 1918 - April 13, 1975) was the first president of Chad. ... List of Heads of State of Chad (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Affiliations:- See also:- Chad Heads of Government of Chad Colonial Heads of Chad lists of incumbents Categories: Lists of office-holders ...

By defeating and killing Rabih az-Zubayr on April 22, 1900, at the Battle of Kousséri, France removed a major obstacle to its colonisation of Chad.

15,000 Chadian soldiers fought for Free France during WWII.^[10]

Two years later, Tombalbaye banned opposition parties and established a one-party system. Tombalbaye's autocratic rule and insensitive mismanagement exacerbated interethnic tensions. In 1965 Muslims began a civil war. Tombalbaye was overthrown and killed in 1975,^[11] but the insurgency continued. In 1979 the rebel factions conquered the capital, and all central authority in the country collapsed. Armed factions, many from the north's rebellion, contended for power.^[12]^[13] The disintegration of Chad caused the collapse of France's position in the country. Libya moved to fill the power vacuum and became involved in Chad's civil war.^[14] Libya's adventure ended in disaster in 1987; the French-supported president, Hissène Habré, evoked a united response from Chadians of a kind never seen before^[15] and forced the Libyan army off Chadian soil.^[16] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 393 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (666 Ã— 1015 pixel, file size: 54 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) TÃªte de Rabah, trophÃ©e dun tirailleur de la Mission dAfrique Centrale, au soir du 22 avril 1900. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 393 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (666 Ã— 1015 pixel, file size: 54 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) TÃªte de Rabah, trophÃ©e dun tirailleur de la Mission dAfrique Centrale, au soir du 22 avril 1900. ... Rabih az-Zubayr was a Sudanese warlord who established a powerful kingdom west of Lake Chad, in todays Chad. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... The battle of KoussÃ©ri originates From French plans to occupy the Chari-Baguirmi region and so, in 1899â€“1900, three armed expeditions were organized, one proceeding north from Congo, one east from Niger and another south from Algeria. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 695 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (3286 Ã— 2836 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 695 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (3286 Ã— 2836 pixel, file size: 4. ... Flag De Jure territory Capital Paris Capital-in-exile London, Algiers Government Republic Leader Charles de Gaulle Historical era World War II - de Gaulles appeal June 18, 1940 - Liberation of Paris August, 1944 The Free French Forces (French: , FFL) were French fighters in World War II, who decided to... The Transitional Government of National Unity (Gouvernement dUnion Nationale de Transition or GUNT) was the coalition government of armed groups that nominally ruled Chad from 1979 to 1982, during the most anarchic phase of the long-going civil war that began in 1965. ... The Chadian coup of 1975 was in considerable part generated by the growing distrust of the President of Chad, FranÃ§ois Tombalbaye, for the army. ... Combatants Libya GUNT Chad France Zaire Commanders Muammar al-Gaddafi Goukouni Oueddei HissÃ¨ne HabrÃ© Casualties Thousands Unknown The Chadian-Libyan conflict was a state of sporadic warfare events in Chad between 1978 and 1987, opposing Libya and Chad; but Libyan involvement in Chads internal affairs predated 1978 and... Combatants Libya Chad Commanders Muammar al-Gaddafi HissÃ¨ne HabrÃ© Hassan Djamous Strength 90,000[1] 28,000[2] Casualties 7,500 killed 1,000 PoW 800 tanks and APCs 28 aircraft[3] 1,000 killed[3] The Toyota War is the name commonly given to the last phase of... HissÃ¨ne HabrÃ© (born 1942), also spelled Hissen HabrÃ©, was the leader of Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990. ...

Habré consolidated his dictatorship through a power system that relied on corruption and violence; an estimated 40,000 people were killed under his rule.^[17]^[18] The president favoured his own Daza ethnic group and discriminated against his former allies, the Zaghawa. His general, Idriss Déby, overthrew him in 1990.^[19] The Daza are a group of nomadic people living in and near the southern Sahara desert, in Niger and Chad. ... Zaghawa is an African ethnic group, mainly living in eastern Chad and western Sudan, including the Darfur province of Sudan. ... Lieutenant General Idriss DÃ©by Itno (born in Fada in 1952) is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. ...

Déby attempted to reconcile the rebel groups and reintroduced multiparty politics. Chadians approved a new constitution by referendum, and in 1996, Déby easily won a competitive presidential election. He won a second term five years later.^[20] Oil exploitation began in Chad in 2003, bringing with it hopes that Chad would at last have some chances of peace and prosperity. Instead, internal dissent worsened, and a new civil war broke out. Déby unilaterally modified the constitution to remove the two-term limit on the presidency; this caused an uproar among the civil society and opposition parties.^[21] In 2006 Déby won a third mandate in elections that the opposition boycotted. Ethnic violence in eastern Chad has increased; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that a genocide like that in Darfur may yet occur in Chad.^[22] The Constitution of Chad is the supreme law of the Republic of Chad. ... The Chadian constitutional referendum of 1996 was designed to approve or repel on March 31, 1996, through a popular consultation a constitutional draft meant to definitively replace the Transitional Charter estabilished by the Sovereign National Conference in 1993. ... The elections that took place in two rounds between June 2 and July 3 1996 were the first in the history of Chad since independence. ... The President Idriss DÃ©by presented himself for a second mandate. ... Petro redirects here. ... Combatants United Front for Democratic Change Janjaweed Allegedly supported by: Sudan Chad, Alliance of Revolutionary Forces of West Sudan Commanders Mohammed Nour (UFDC) Idriss DÃ©by Strength Unknown UFDC forces[1] ~23,000 est. ... On 6 June 2005 the Chadian voters were called to pronounce themselves through a referendum on the revision of the Constitution originally approved on 31 March 1996. ... The 2006 Chad presidential election will take place on May 3. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... For other uses, see Genocide (disambiguation). ... Combatants JEM factions NRF alliance Janjaweed SLM (Minnawi) Sudan African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Commanders Ibrahim Khalil Ahmed Diraige Omar al-Bashir Minni Minnawi Luke Aprezi Strength N/A N/A 7,000 The Darfur conflict is a crisis in the...

In 2006 and in 2008 rebel forces have attempted to take the capital by force, but have on both circumstances failed.^[23]

[edit] Politics and government

Main article: Politics of Chad

See also: Foreign relations of Chad

The president of Chad, Idriss Déby

Chad's constitution provides for a strong executive branch headed by a president who dominates the political system. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet, and exercises considerable influence over appointments of judges, generals, provincial officials and heads of Chad's para-statal firms. In cases of grave and immediate threat, the president, in consultation with the National Assembly, may declare a state of emergency. The president is directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term; in 2005 constitutional term limits were removed.^[24] This removal allows a president to remain in power beyond the previous two-term limit.^[24] Most of Déby's key advisers are members of the Zaghawa ethnic group, although southern and opposition personalities are represented in government.^[25]^[26] Corruption is rife at all levels; Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2005 named Chad the most corrupt country in the world,^[27] and it has fared only slightly better in the following years.^[28] In 2007, it scored 1.8 out of 10 on the Corruption Perceptions Index (with 10 being the least corrupt). Only Tonga, Uzbekistan, Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar, and Somalia scored lower.^[29] Critics of President Déby have accused him of cronyism and tribalism.^[30] A strong executive branch headed by President Deby dominates the Chadian political system. ... Chad is officially non-aligned but has close relations with France, the former colonial power, and other members of the Western community. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Lieutenant General Idriss DÃ©by Itno (born in Fada in 1952) is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. ... The Prime Minister is the Chadian head of government. ... The National Assembly (AssemblÃ©e Nationale) is the parliament of Chad. ... For other uses, see State of emergency (disambiguation). ... Elections in Chad gives information on election and election results in Chad. ... Transparency International (TI) is an international organisation addressing corruption, including, but not limited to, political corruption. ... Overview of the index of perception of corruption, 2006 Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[1] ordering the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.[2] The organization defines corruption as... Overview of the index of perception of corruption, 2006 Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[1] ordering the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.[2] The organization defines corruption as...

Chad's legal system is based on French civil law and Chadian customary law where the latter does not interfere with public order or constitutional guarantees of equality. Despite the constitution's guarantee of judicial independence, the president names most key judicial officials. The legal system's highest jurisdictions, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council, have become fully operational since 2000. The Supreme Court is made up of a chief justice, named by the president, and 15 councillors, appointed for life by the president and the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court is headed by nine judges elected to nine-year terms. It has the power to review legislation, treaties and international agreements prior to their adoption.^[26]^[25] In academic terms, French law can be divided into two main categories: private law (droit privÃ©) and public law (droit public). Private law includes, in particular: civil law (droit civil); and criminal law (droit pÃ©nal). Public law includes, in particular: administrative law (droit administratif); and constitutional law (droit constitutionnel... The Supreme Court (French Cour SuprÃªme) is the highest jurisdiction of Chad in judiciary, administrative and tributary fields. ... The Constitutional Council of Chad judges the constitutionality of legislation and treaties in Chad. ...

The National Assembly makes legislation. The body consists of 155 members elected for four-year terms who meet three times per year. The Assembly holds regular sessions twice a year, starting in March and October, and can hold special sessions when called by the prime minister. Deputies elect a National Assembly president every two years. The president must sign or reject newly passed laws within 15 days. The National Assembly must approve the prime minister's plan of government and may force the prime minister to resign through a majority vote of no confidence. However, if the National Assembly rejects the executive branch's programme twice in one year, the president may disband the Assembly and call for new legislative elections. In practice, the president exercises considerable influence over the National Assembly through his party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), which holds a large majority.^[25] The National Assembly (AssemblÃ©e Nationale) is the parliament of Chad. ... Politics of Chad Categories: Politics stubs | Chad political parties ...

Until the legalisation of opposition parties in 1992, Déby's MPS was the sole legal party in Chad.^[25] Since, 78 registered political parties have become active.^[31] In 2005, opposition parties and human rights organisations supported the boycott of the constitutional referendum that allowed Déby to stand for re-election for a third term^[32] amid reports of widespread irregularities in voter registration and government censorship of independent media outlets during the campaign.^[33] Correspondents judged the 2006 presidential elections a mere formality, as the opposition deemed the polls a farce and boycotted.^[34] A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ...

Déby faces armed opposition from groups who are deeply divided by leadership clashes but united in their intention to overthrow him.^[35] These forces stormed the capital on April 13, 2006, but were ultimately repelled. Chad's greatest foreign influence is France, which maintains 1,000 troops in the country. Déby relies on the French to help repel the rebels, and France gives the Chadian army logistical and intelligence support for fear of a complete collapse of regional stability.^[36] Nevertheless, Franco-Chadian relations were soured by the granting of oil drilling rights to the American Exxon company in 1999.^[37] Combatants United Front for Democratic Change Chad military Casualties 400 deaths, 387 injured on both sides[1] The Battle of NDjamena describes several battles that have taken place at NDjamena, the capital of Chad. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Under President Hissein Habre, members of Gourane, Zaghawa, Kanembou, Hadjerai, and Massa ethnic groups dominated the military of Chad. ... For other uses, see Exon (disambiguation). ...

Educators face considerable challenges due to the nation's dispersed population and a certain degree of reluctance on the part of parents to send their children to school. Although attendance is compulsory, only 68% of boys continue past primary school, and more than half of the population is illiterate. Higher education is provided at the University of N'Djamena.^[25]^[38] The University of NDjamena is the leading institution of higher education in Chad. ...

[edit] Humanitarian situation

According to the United Nations, Chad has been affected by a humanitarian crisis since at least 2001. As of 2008, the country hosts over 280,000 refugees from the Sudan's Darfur region, over 55,000 from the Central African Republic, as well as over 170,000 internally displaced persons.^[39] UN redirects here. ... A humanitarian crisis or (in the language of history) a humanitarian disaster is a health or otherwise natural disaster which mortally threatens a very large number of people. ... For other uses, see Darfur (disambiguation). ... Tailor in Labuje IDP camp in Uganda An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who has been forced to leave their home for reasons such as religious or political persecution, war or natural disaster, but has not crossed an international border. ...

In February 2008 in the aftermath of the battle of N'Djamena, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes expressed "extreme concern" that the crisis would have a negative effect on the ability of humanitarians to deliver life-saving assistance to half a million beneficiaries, most of whom - according to him - heavily rely on humanitarian aid for their survival.^[40] UN spokesperson Maurizio Giuliano stated to The Washington Post: "If we do not manage to provide aid at sufficient levels, the humanitarian crisis might become a humanitarian catastrophe".^[41] UN redirects here. ... For other persons named John Holmes, see John Holmes (disambiguation). ... UN redirects here. ... Maurizio Giuliano is a social scientist with a background in academia and media. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ...

The UN, under the leadership of Holmes, boosted the humanitarian response in 2007, with the arrival of a field office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Senior UN official Eliane Duthoit was deployed as head of the OCHA office in the capital N'Djamena, while former World Food Programme official Fatma Samoura became Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in the eastern town of Abéché.^[42] UN redirects here. ... For other persons named John Holmes, see John Holmes (disambiguation). ... The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is a organisation under the United Nations which was formed in December 1991 with the General Assembly Resolution 46/182. ... UN redirects here. ... Eliane Duthoit is a senior United Nations official working for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). ... The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is a organisation under the United Nations which was formed in December 1991 with the General Assembly Resolution 46/182. ... NDjamena, Â«ehn JAHM uh nuhÂ», population 721,000 (2005), is the capital of Chad. ... WFP redirects here. ... AbÃ©chÃ© is a city in Chad, the capital of OuaddaÃ¯ prefecture. ...

[edit] Regions, departments, and sub-prefectures

Main articles: Regions of Chad, Departments of Chad, and Sub-prefectures of Chad

Regions of Chad

Chad is divided into 18 regions. This system came about in 2003 as part of the decentralisation process, when the government abolished the previous 14 prefectures. Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. Prefects administer the 50 departments within the regions. The departments are divided into 200 sub-prefectures, which are in turn composed of 446 cantons.^[43]^[44] The cantons are scheduled to be replaced by communautés rurales, but the legal and regulatory framework has not yet been completed.^[45] The constitution provides for decentralised government to compel local populations to play an active role in their own development.^[46] To this end, the constitution declares that each administrative subdivisions be governed by elected local assemblies,^[47] but no local elections have taken place,^[48] and communal elections scheduled for 2005 have been repeatedly postponed.^[31] The country of Chad is currently divided into 18 regions. ... Chad is divided into 18 regions, which are subdivided into 52 departments: AboudeÃ¯a Assoungha Baguirmi Barh Azoum Barh El Gazel Barh KÃ¶h Barh Sara Barh Signaka Batha Est Batha Ouest Biltine Borkou Chari Dababa Dagana Dar Tama Djourf Al Ahmar DodjÃ© Ennedi East Ennedi West Fitri Grande Sido... Sub-prefectures of Chad The departments of Chad are divided into 348 sub-prefectures (sous-prefectures). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The country of Chad is currently divided into 18 regions. ... Chad is divided into 14 prefectures: Batha Biltine Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Chari-Baguirmi Guéra Kanem Lac Logone Occidental Logone Oriental Mayo-Kebbi Moyen-Chari Ouaddaï Salamat Tandjilé Categories: Chad | Lists of subnational entities | Prefectures of Chad ... Chad is divided into 18 regions, which are subdivided into 52 departments: AboudeÃ¯a Assoungha Baguirmi Barh Azoum Barh El Gazel Barh KÃ¶h Barh Sara Barh Signaka Batha Est Batha Ouest Biltine Borkou Chari Dababa Dagana Dar Tama Djourf Al Ahmar DodjÃ© Ennedi East Ennedi West Fitri Grande Sido... Sub-prefectures of Chad The departments of Chad are divided into 348 sub-prefectures (sous-prefectures). ...

The regions are:^[49]

Batha is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), located in the centre of the country. ... The Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti (BET) is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Faya-Largeau. ... Chari-Baguirmi is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Massenya. ... GuÃ©ra is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its captal is Mongo. ... Hadjer-Lamis is one of the 18 regions of Chad, located in the southwest of the country. ... Kanem is one of the 18 regions of Chad, corresponding to the former prefecture of Kanem. ... Lac is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Bol. ... Logone Occidental is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Moundou. ... Logone Oriental is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Doba. ... Mandoul is one of the 18 regions of Chad. ... Mayo-Kebbi Est is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Bongor. ... Mayo-Kebbi Ouest is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Pala. ... Moyen-Chari is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decree NÂ° 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Sarh. ... OuaddaÃ¯ is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decrees NÂ° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is AbÃ©chÃ©. It is composed by the former OuaddaÃ¯ Prefecture. ... Salamat is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decree NÂ° 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is Am Timan. ... TandjilÃ© is one of the 18 regions of Chad (Decree NÂ° 419/PR/MAT/02), and its capital is LaÃ¯. Subdivisions The region of TandjilÃ© is divided in 2 departments: DÃ©mography The region had 458,240 inhabitants in 1993, of whom 442,876 sedentary (rural, 385,537; urban, 57... Wadi Fira is one of the 18 regions of Chad, and corresponds with the former prefecture of Biltine. ... NDjamena, Â«ehn JAHM uh nuhÂ», population 721,000 (2005), is the capital of Chad. ...

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Chad

Chad is divided into three distinct zones, from the Sudanese savanna in the south to the Sahara Desert in the north.

At 1,284,000 square kilometres (496,000 sq mi), Chad is the world's 21st-largest country. It is slightly smaller than Peru and slightly larger than South Africa.^[50]^[51] Chad is in north central Africa, lying between 8° and 24° north and between 14° and 24° east. Chad is bounded to the north by Libya, to the east by Sudan, to the west by Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, and to the south by the Central African Republic. The country's capital is 1,600 km (990 mi) from the nearest seaport.^[38]^[52] Due to this distance from the sea and the country's largely desert climate, Chad is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa".^[53] Map of Chad Satellite image of Chad, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library Chad is a land-locked country in north central Africa measuring 1,284,000 square kilometers (496,000 sq. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1265x1922, 1833 KB) ECW to TIFF to JPEG (100% quality; progressive formatting). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1265x1922, 1833 KB) ECW to TIFF to JPEG (100% quality; progressive formatting). ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Countries by area. ... This article is about arid terrain. ...

Lake Chad in a 2001 satellite image. On the top, the changes from 1973 to 1997 are shown.

A heritage of the colonial era, Chad's borders do not coincide wholly with natural boundaries. The dominant physical structure is a wide basin bounded to the north, east and south by mountain ranges. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the remains of an immense lake that occupied 330,000 km² (130,000 sq mi) of the Chadian Basin 7,000 years ago.^[38] Although in the 21st century it covers only 17,806 km² (6,875 sq mi), and its surface area is subject to heavy seasonal fluctuations,^[54] the lake is Africa's second largest wetland.^[55] The Emi Koussi, a dormant volcano in the Tibesti Mountains that reaches 3,414 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Chad and the Sahara. Description: A composite of images showing the diminishing Lake Chad from 1973 to 2001. ... Description: A composite of images showing the diminishing Lake Chad from 1973 to 2001. ... Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... Emi Koussi is a high volcano that lies at the south end of the Tibesti Mountains in the central Sahara of northern Chad. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Mountain ranges | Stratovolcanoes | Hotspot volcanoes | Mountains of Chad | Volcanoes of Chad ...

Each year a tropical weather system known as the intertropical front crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a wet season that lasts from May to October in the south, and from June to September in the Sahel.^[56] Variations in local rainfall create three major geographical zones. The Sahara lies in the country's northern third. Yearly precipitations there are under 50 millimetres (2 in); in fact, Borkou in Chad is the most arid area of the Sahara. Vegetation throughout this belt is scarce; only the occasional spontaneous palm grove survives, the only ones to do so south of the Tropic of Cancer. The Sahara gives way to a Sahelian belt in Chad's centre; precipitation there varies from 300 mm to 600 mm (12–24 in) per year. In the Sahel a steppe of thorny bushes (mostly acacias) gradually gives way to a savanna in Chad's Sudanese zone to the south. Yearly rainfall in this belt is over 900 mm (35 in).^[52] The region's tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favourable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad's major rivers—the Chari, Logone and their tributaries—flow through the southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad.^[38]^[57] The thunderstorms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone form a line across the eastern Pacific Ocean. ... A wet season or rainy season is a season in which the average rainfall in a region is significantly increased. ... Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti is most extensive of the 14 prefectures that Chad was divided into between 1960 and 1999. ... For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Cancer (novel). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Acacia (disambiguation). ... This article is about grassland. ... The Chari or Shari River is a 949-kilometer-long river of central Africa, flowing from the Central African Republic through Chad into Lake Chad. ... The Logon River is a major tributary of the Chari River. ...

[edit] Economy and infrastructure

Main article: Economy of Chad

A Chadian maternity ward. Although improving, Chad's infrastructure remains far less developed than that of its northern neighbours.

The United Nations' Human Development Index ranks Chad as the fifth poorest country in the world, with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. The GDP (PPP) per capita was estimated as US$

Encyclopedia > Chad