Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990.

The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001.

In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels.

In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority.

In June 2005, President Idriss Deby held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 9,885,661 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.3% (male 2,366,496/female 2,308,155) 15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,250,211/female 2,676,076) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 120,666/female 164,057) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 16.3 years male: 15 years female: 17.4 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.32% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 42.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 16.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.025 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.841 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 102.07 deaths/1,000 live births male: 108.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 95.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.2 years male: 46.17 years female: 48.27 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 5.56 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.8% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 200,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 18,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian

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Ethnic groups: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3% (1993 census)

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Religions: Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, animist 7.3%, other 0.5%, unknown 1.7%, atheist 3.1% (1993 census)

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Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic total population: 47.5% male: 56% female: 39.3% (2003 est.)

Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves have been estimated to be 2 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.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $14.98 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $4.981 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 1.3% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.5% industry: 26.6% services: 40.8% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 2.719 million (1993)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) industry and services: 20%

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Unemployment rate: NA%

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Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 9.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $617.3 million expenditures: $877.6 million; including capital expenditures of $146 million (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels

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Industries: oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials

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Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995)

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Electricity - production: 94 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 87.42 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 225,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 1,460 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 170,000 bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2005)

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$324.1 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $4.342 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: cotton, cattle, gum arabic, oil

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Exports - partners: US 80.6%, China 10.4%, South Korea 2.6% (2006)

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Imports: $823.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles

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Imports - partners: France 19.1%, Cameroon 18.1%, US 12.9%, Germany 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.1%, Belgium 5% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $352.8 million (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $1.5 billion (2003 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $246.9 million (2003 est.)

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Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

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Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year