| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Chad conventional short form: Chad local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad local short form: Tchad/Tshad etymology: named for Lake Chad, which lies along the country's western border; the word "tsade" means "large body of water" or "lake" in several local native languages note: the only country whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel |
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: N'Djamena geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 15 02 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: name taken from the Arab name of a nearby village, Nijamina, meaning "place of rest" |
| Administrative divisions | 23 provinces (provinces, singular - province); Barh-El-Gazel, Batha, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi, Ennedi-Est, Ennedi-Ouest, Guera, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi-Est, Mayo-Kebbi-Ouest, Moyen-Chari, N'Djamena, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile, Tibesti, Wadi-Fira |
| Independence | 11 August 1960 (from France) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 11 August (1960) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest approved 30 April 2018 by the National Assembly, entered into force 4 May 2018 amendments: proposed as a revision by the president of the republic after a Council of Ministers (cabinet) decision or by the National Assembly; approval for consideration of a revision requires at least three-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires approval by referendum or at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly (2021) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil and customary law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Chad dual citizenship recognized: Chadian law does not address dual citizenship residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY; note - on 20 April 2021, President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries he sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country head of government: Interim President Mahamat Idriss DEBY; note - on 20 April 2021, President Idriss DEBY Itno, Lt. Gen. died of injuries he sustained following clashes between government forces he was commanding and insurgents in the northern part of the country cabinet: Council of Ministers elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 10 April 2016 (next to be held on 10 April 2021) election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY (MPS) 61.6%, Saleh KEBZABO (UNDR) 12.8%, Laokein Kourayo MEDAR (CTPD) 10.7%, Djimrangar DADNADJI (CAP-SUR) 5.1%, other 9.8% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly (188 seats; 163 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 25 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 13 February and 6 May 2011 (next originally scheduled on 13 December 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 117, UNDR 10, RDP 9, RNDT/Le Reveil 8, URD 8, Viva-RNDP 5, FAR 4, CTPD 2, PDSA 2, PUR 2, UDR 2, other 19; composition - men 164, women 24, percent of women 12.8% note: the National Assembly mandate was extended to 2020, reportedly due to a lack of funding for the scheduled 2015 election; the MPS has held a majority in the NA since 1997 |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 3 chamber presidents, and 12 judges or councilors and divided into 3 chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 3 judges and 6 jurists) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice selected by the president; councilors - 8 designated by the president and 7 by the speaker of the National Assembly; chief justice and councilors appointed for life; Constitutional Council judges - 2 appointed by the president and 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly; jurists - 3 each by the president and by the speaker of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms subordinate courts: High Court of Justice; Courts of Appeal; tribunals; justices of the peace |
| Political parties and leaders | Chadian Convention for Peace and Development or CTPD [Laoukein Kourayo MEDAR] Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR] Framework of Popular Action for Solidarity and Unity of the Republic or CAP-SUR [Joseph Djimrangar DADNADJI] National Rally for Development and Progress or Viva-RNDP [Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE] National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO] Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ahmat ALHABO] Party for Unity and Reconciliation Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Idriss DEBY] Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Mahamat Allahou TAHER]RNDT/Le Reveil [Albert Pahimi PADACKE] Social Democratic Party for a Change-over of Power or PDSA [Malloum YOBODA] Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Felix Romadoumngar NIALBE] |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador NGOTE GALI Koutou (since 22 June 2018) chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 652-1312 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937 email address and website: info@chadembassy.us https://chadembassy.us/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GILMOUR (since December 2020) embassy: Rond-Point Chagoua, B.P. 413, N’Djamena mailing address: 2410 N'Djamena Place, Washington DC 20521-2410 telephone: [235] 2251-5017 FAX: [235] 2253-9102 email address and website: NdjamenaACS@state.gov https://td.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and red; the flag combines the blue and red French (former colonial) colors with the red and yellow (gold) of the Pan-African colors; blue symbolizes the sky, hope, and the south of the country, which is relatively well-watered; gold represents the sun, as well as the desert in the north of the country; red stands for progress, unity, and sacrifice note: almost identical to the flag of Romania but with a darker shade of blue; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design based on the flag of France |
| National symbol(s) | goat (north), lion (south); national colors: blue, yellow, red |
| National anthem | name: "La Tchadienne" (The Chadian) lyrics/music: Louis GIDROL and his students/Paul VILLARD note: adopted 1960 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
