Chad



=Chad=


 * Background**- Chad went to the French after the French and Italians had divided their Saharan territories in the late 19th century. François Tombalbaye was elected president of Chad in 1960 and was assinated by the muslims in 1975 because the policies he made were angering them. The country broke into civil war in 1979 when military rule had ended. The people living in Chad, Chadians, approved a new constitution in 1996 and voted in presidential elections.


 * Religions**- Half of Chad's population is Muslim, Christian 25%, animist 25%. Muslims are located more in the north and east, while Christians and animists are located mostly in the south.


 * Ethnic** **Groups**- Chad had many ancient civilizations grow in it's country. This includes Arabs, Sao, Kanem-Bornu, Ouaddai and Bagurmi. More than 200 ethnic groups lived there.


 * Languages**- The official languages are classical Arabic and French although there are over 100 languages spoken in Chad. Central Africa Sara is widely spoken in the south. There are 30 different dialects of Chadian Arabic.


 * Flag**- The Chad flag was adopted on November 6, 1959. There are 3 vertical stripes: blue, yellow and red. Each color represents something meaningful. Blue represents the sky and hope, yellow symbolizes the sun and desert, and red represents prosperity and unity.



Geography and Location[[image:Chad,_Africa.gif width="286" height="253" align="right"]]

 * Area**- 1,284,000 sq. km.
 * Capital**- N'Djamena
 * Location**- Central Africa; Chad borders around Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.

Land and Climate
March to May: Temperatures average 104 to 113°F December to February: Temperatures average 80°F and can drop to 55°F at night. If any, the desert only receives a few inches of rain per year.
 * Land use-** arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005)
 * Terrain-** broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
 * Environment hazards-** hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
 * Natural resources-** petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
 * Climate-** June to October: Subtropical southwest receives abundant rain.
 * Environmental Issues-** Not enough water, improper waste disposal, contributes to soil and water pollution, and desertification.

The Government and People

 * Population**- The population is 10.1 million, but it grows 2.2% every year. 1,284,000.
 * Government** **type**- Republic
 * Leader**- Idriss Déby is the president which is head of state and is elected to a five-year term. The prime minister, Youssof Saleh Abbas, is head of the government and is appointed by the president.
 * Literacy-** 41% male; 13% female
 * Life expectantcy-** 49 years for males; 52 years for females
 * Infant mortality rate:** 124 per 1,000 births
 * Suffrage-** 18 years of age; universal
 * Military expenditures-** 4.2% of GDP
 * Independence-** August 11, 1960
 * Net migration rate-** 4.08 migrants out of 1,000 population
 * Education-** First grade starts school at age 6. Most students drop out after 6th grade. The average teacher has over 70 students. Chad has a small university and few colleges.

Products and Economy

 * Economic overview-** 80% of Chad's population relies on substance farming and livvestock raising for jobs. The nation's total oil reserves are estimated at 1.5 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings.
 * Agriculture products-** cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels
 * Imports (commedities)-** machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
 * Industries-** oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
 * Currency/Exchange rate-** $1 United States = 447.81 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
 * Exports (commedities)-** oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic
 * Unemployment-** N/A
 * GDP per capita-** $1,600

Places to visit:

 * N'Djamena-** Capital of Chad, visit National Museum to see artifacts.
 * Zakouma National Park-** See wildlife
 * Lake Chad-** This is a historic site since it was once the center for the salt trade industry in Africa.

Timeline:
1920- Until this year, Chad went to the French, who were unable to solidify colonial rule. 1960- Chad gained independence; Chadians elected François Tombalbaye as president. 1975- Army assassinated president. 1979- Chad erupted into civil war after military rule ended. 1982- Chad fought war against Libya. 1990- Idriss Déby deposed Habré, who escaped into exile in Senegal. 1994- Libya retreated all of their troops. 1996- Chadians approved a new constitution and voted in presidential elections. 2004- Sudan's Darfur region spilled into Chad, and troops clashed with rebels who were trying to overthrow Idriss Déby. April 2006/February 2008- Rebels launched attack on N'Djamena. Government forces defeated the offensives, but insurgencies continue.

Current Event-
Chad is a source and destination country for children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. The majority of children are trafficked within Chad for involuntary domestic servitude, forced cattle herding, forced begging, forced labor in petty commerce or the fishing industry, or for commercial sexual exploitation.

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