Chad Profile - An Overview

[BBC]

A largely semi-desert country, Chad is rich in gold and uranium and stands to benefit from its recently-acquired status as an oil-exporting state.

•   Full name:The Republic of Chad
•   Population: 11.5 million (UN, 2010)
•   Capital: N'Djamena
•   Area: 1.28 million sq km (495,800 sq miles)
•   Major languages: French, Arabic
•   Major religions: Islam, Christianity
•   Life expectancy: 49 years (men), 51 years (women) (UN)
•   Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes
•   Main exports: Cotton, oil, livestock, textiles
•   GNI per capita: US $610 (World Bank, 2009)
•   Internet domain: .td
•   International dialling code: +235

However, Africa's fifth-largest nation suffers from inadequate infrastructure and internal conflict. Poverty is rife, and health and social conditions compare unfavourably with those elsewhere in the region.

BBC

[afroboy]

Key facts, figures and dates

Attribution: CNN, BBC and IOL Africa.