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Key Demographic Features of Chad*

Location: Central Africa, south of Libya
Map references: Africa

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.)
Infant mortality rate: 120.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.55 years
male: 45.18 years
female: 50.01 years (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions:
north and center: Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba)
south: non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa)
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write in French or Arabic (1995 est.)
total population: 48.1%
male: 62.1%
female: 34.7%

Government

Country Abbreviation: CD
Type of government: republic
Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Constitution: 31 March 1995, passed by referendum
Legal system:
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal

Economy

Economic overview:
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
GDP per capita: $600 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%

Communications

Telephones: 5,000 (1987 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1987 est.)
note: limited TV service; many facilities are inoperative
Televisions: 7,000 (1991 est.)

*Source: World Factbook 1996, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

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