World > Africa > Chad

Introduction:

Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution, and held multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections in 1996 and 1997, respectively. In 1998, a new rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which continued to escalate throughout 2000. A peace agreement, signed in January 2002 between the government and the rebels, provides for the demobilization of the rebels and their reintegration into the political system. Despite movement toward democratic reform, power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic oligarchy.

Official name: Republic of Chad Capital: N'Djamena Government type: republic Population: 9,253,493 (July 2003 est.) Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects Official Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Currency code: XAF Area: total: 1.284 million sq km water: 24,800 sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km Climate: tropical in south, desert in north

Map of Chad