1,360 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
ruled in February 1994 that the 100,000 sq km Aozou Strip between
Chad and Libya belongs to Chad and that Libya must withdraw from it
by 31 May 1994; Libya has withdrawn some of its forces in response
to the ICJ ruling, but still maintains part of the airfield and a
small military presence at the airfield's water supply located in
Chad; demarcation of international boundaries in vicinity of Lake
Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is
completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and
Nigeria

Climate: tropical in south, desert in north

Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains
in northwest, lowlands in south
lowest point: Djourab Depression 175 m
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m

Natural resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under
way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 36%
forest and woodland: 11%
other: 51%

Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste
disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution;
desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north;
periodic droughts; locust plagues
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping

Geographic note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant
water body in the Sahel

People
------

Population: 6,976,845 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,543,688; female 1,535,729)
15-64 years: 53% (male 1,807,361; female 1,881,930)
65 years and over: 3% (male 91,998; female 116,139) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.68% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 44.25 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 17.44 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 ma