e: tropical in south, desert in north

_#_Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains
in northwest, lowlands in south

_#_Natural resources: crude oil (unexploited but exploration
beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures 36%; forest and woodland 11%; other 51%; includes irrigated
NEGL%

_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north;
drought and desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues
of locusts

_#_Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body
in the Sahel

_*_People
_#_Population: 5,122,467 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male, 41 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Chadian(s); adjective--Chadian

_#_Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are
Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi,
Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims
(Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) in the south;
some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French

_#_Religion: Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism
23%

_#_Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south;
more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken

_#_Literacy: 30% (male 42%, female 18%) age 15 and over can
read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence
farming, herding, and fishing) 85%

_#_Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Chad

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: N'Djamena

_#_Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures,
singular--prefecture); Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti,
Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental,
Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile

_#_Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)

_#_Constitution: 22 December 1989, suspended 3 December 1990;
Provisional National Charter 1 March 19