imate: 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 Depression 160 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: 3%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 36%

forests and woodland: 26%

other: 35% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 140 sq km (1993 est.)

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, Nuclear Test
Ban, 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

Chad People

Population: 8,707,078 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.73% (male 2,091,724; female 2,064,514)

15-64 years: 49.46% (male 2,035,099; female 2,271,389)

65 years and over: 2.81% (male 101,579; female 142,773) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.29% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 48.28 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 15.4 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 95.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.88 years

male: 48.86 years

female: 52.98 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.69% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 92,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 10,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Chadian(s)

adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: Muslims, commonly referred to as "northerners" or
"gorane" (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou,
Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba); non-Muslims, commo