Chad

Map of Chad

Country name	Republic of Chad
Capital	N'Djamena
Independence	11 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday	Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Population	10,975,648 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth	1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Chadian(s)
Religions	Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)
Languages	French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects
Literacy: definition	Age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic Total population: 34.5% Male: 45% Female: 24.2% (2010 est.)
Location	Central Africa, south of Libya
Geographic coordinates	15 00 N, 19 00 E
Map references	Africa
Area	Total: 1.284 million sq km Land: 1,259,200 sq km Water: 24,800 sq km
Area - comparative	Slightly more than three times the size of California
Land boundaries	Total: 5,968 km Border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)
Climate	tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain	Broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
Elevation extremes	Lowest point: Djourab 160 m Highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Natural resources	Petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Exports - commodities	Oil,  Cattle, Cotton, Gum Arabic
Imports - commodities	Machinery and transportation equipment, Industrial goods, Foodstuffs, Textiles
Land use	arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005)
Irrigated land	300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	43 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.23 cu km/yr (17%/0%/83%) per capita: 24 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Environment - current issues	inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
Geography - note	landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel