The Chad is a landlocked country of central Africa, located at the south of the Libya, the east of the Niger and Nigeria, at the north of the Cameroun and Central African Republic and at the west of the Sudan. Geographically and culturally, Chad constitutes a point of passage between l Afric north and l Afric black.

History

See also: History of Chad, postal History of Chad

The State of Chad in its Frontière S current is a creation of the European Colonisation. Its borders result from negotiations between French, English and Germans in the Années 1880. But Chadian space has a rich and relatively well-known history. It is undoubtedly one of the cradles of Humanity (recent discovery of “Toumaï”). It was the seat of three large kingdoms sahéliens: the Kanem-Bornou, the Baguirmi and the Ouaddaï.

Regarded as French protectorate starting from 1900, Chad was set up in colony in 1920 within the framework of the AEF (French equatorial Africa). Under the impulse of Swept the Felix governor, it was the first French colony to join in free France in 1940.

Become autonomous republic in 1958, Chad reached independence the August 11th 1960 with in the chair François Tombalbaye. This one had soon to face the revolt of the populations of North, as a Moslem women majority, which led it to request the assistance of the French troops in 1968. After the assassination of Tombalbaye in 1975, the capacity échut with the general Felix Malloum, who had to yield the place to the northerner Goukouni Oueddei following the first battle of Ndjamena in 1979. In 1980, the second battle of Ndjamena allowed Goukouni Oueddei évincer its rival, Hissène Habré, with the decisive assistance of the Libyan troops.

After the failure of a merger plan between Chad and Libya in 1981, the Libyan troops were withdrawn within the framework of an agreement concluded with the French government. In 1982, Goukouni Oueddei was reversed in its turn by Hissène Habré, which had to call the following year upon the French troops to contain a new Libyan invasion. In 1987, a counter-offensive of the Chadian forces forced finally the Libyan troops to evacuate the country, except for the band of Aozou which was restored in Chad only in 1994.

In 1990, Hissène Habré was driven out capacity by Idriss Déby Itno, which is in place since then. Paradoxically, this last seems to profit today from the support of France and Libya, vis-a-vis the various movements of rebellion which would be more or less encouraged by close Sudan, in connection with the conflict of Darfur.

Policy

See also: Political of Chad

Chad is a République. Officially parliamentary democracy, the country is in the facts an authoritarian regime. International observers noted irregularities in the election of 2001. The president has great capacities, it can in particular name the ministers. The Parliament comprises only one room.

The January 17th 2005, in front of a report/ratio of ONG highlighting the insecurity at the border enters Chad and the province Sudan ease in war of the Darfur; the Prime Minister announces a reinforcement of the means in this area while denying the problem. A referendum took place the June 6th 2005 to modify the Constitution of 1996 on several aspects voted beforehand by the National Assembly the May 23rd 2004. The most important point is the possibility for president Idriss Déby of arising indefinitely to the presidential elections (modification of article 61 of the constitution of the March 31st 1996). From now on the president can represent himself more twice. The last presidential election took place the May 3rd 2006. Groups of opponents denounced a poll faked with the complicity of the National electoral commission, others called with the boycott. Little before this date, the April 13rd 2006, of briefs engagements takes place in the periphery of Djamena, between a faction of the rebellion, the FUC (United front for the Change) and the troops governmental. Idriss Déby shows the Sudan to support its adversaries. Without much surprise in the absence of serious competitor and with faked elections, Idriss Déby is re-elected with more than 77% of the voices.

Administrative subdivisions

See also: territorial Administrative organization of Chad

Since 2002, Chad is divided into 18 administrative areas, of which the Town of Djaména (area governed by a special statute): The administrative units are the relays of the state on a local level. The areas are managed by governors. Each area includes/understands several departments managed by prefects. Each department includes/understands several sub-prefectures managed by sub-prefects.

Geographical and ethnic disparities

Chad is a divided country enters, on the one hand, a North and a Center desert and deprived of natural resources and, on the other hand, southernmost areas of pre-equatorial climate, rich in natural resources and human. The ethnic complexity of Chad however does not recut exactly this line of geographical fracture.

North and the Center represent the two-thirds of the surface of the country and count approximately 30% of the total population. These areas are populated disparate Saharan populations, but all Moslem women, pertaining to the groups linguistic Saharan and Sudanese Eastern (Toubous - 2,5%, Goranes, Kredas - 4,5%, Zaghawas, Bideyats - 1,5%, Kanembous - 8,5% and Ouaddaïens - 15%).

In addition, the Arabs, Moslems, occupy three great zones of settlement, in North (north-western of Kanem), in the Center (Batha, Chari-Baguirmi and north of Ouaddaï) and in South-east (Salamat), accounting for approximately 14,5% of the Chadian population.

Lastly, South-west, Christian and most marginally animist, is composed of négro-African populations belonging to the linguistic groups Chadian and Sudanese exchange (Sara - 30%, Hadjaraïs - 8,5%, Ngombayes - 5,5%, Toupouris, Kotokos, Massas, and other Southerners - 9,5%).

Economy

See also: Economy of Chad, Economy of oil in Chad

The majority of the population saw Agriculture and cattle breeding. Chad exports especially Coton, Bétail and Gum arabic. Chad started to export Pétrole in 2004 (exploitation of the fields of the area of the Logone Oriental). Envisaged in the beginning to rise with 225.000 barrels per day (bpd), the production of oil in fact was established on average in 2005 around 180.000 bpd. The foreseeable receipts for the state, during the 25 next years, are estimated at 2 billion dollars. Forming part of a disputed mode, the risks of diversion are raised, but an agreement was concluded engaging the Chadian government, the consortium exploiting the layers (ExxonMobil, Chevron and Petronas) and the World Bank, to assign 90% of the receipts to priority expenditure and to constitute with the 10% remainders funds intended " with the futures" generations;.

The country nevertheless under-is seriously populated and the labor is badly formed. Chad is still a strongly colonial country. The schools often belong to foreign humanitarian organizations and the country thus depends on the foreigner. The economy turns thanks to the assistance of the developed countries, in dollars or euros, with which the country buys or orders with the companies of the donor countries. The currency is the Frank C.F.A, whose value was formerly fixed by Banque de France and today by the European Central bank. This confirms the tendency which wants that the French, old owners of the country, lose more and more influence with the profit of the other developed countries (the USA, Germany, Italy, China, etc) and populations Chadian.

Quotation of the newspaper the world:

Decrease: Landlocked country and largely desert, Chad recorded a retreat of 0,7% of its growth in 2006, whereas the remainder of sub-Saharan Africa increased by 5,5%. Its inflation, to 8%, is strongest of the zone of the Economic community and monetarist of central Africa.

Demography

See also: Demography of Chad

The total population of Chad in 2005 is evaluated with 9.826.419 inhabitants (US Census Bureau). In 1993, the general Census of the population and habitat gave the figure of 6.288.261 inhabitants.

  • rural Active population (1995): 80,8% of the active population

  • average annual Rate of population growth (1990-99): 2,98%
  • average Life expectancy (1989-94): 48 years

Culture

See also: Culture of Chad

Even if the French, Chadian Arabic and sara it are the only official languages, more than one hundred of languages are used through the country, like the sar, the ngambaï, the mbaï, the kabalaye, lélé, the kim, massed it or the toupouri and the baguirmi, nandjéré, the mboum, the gourane, the kanembou, the zakawa, the ouaddaï, the kado, the moudang, the laga, the gor, the kaba.

See also: List of the languages of Chad

Codes

Chad has as codes:

See too

Internal bonds

  • Chadian Kitchen
  • List of articles on Chad and the Chadian basin
  • List of the Chadian personalities

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