Administrative divisions > A note
instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department), and 1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera, Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam, N'djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile Occidental, Tibesti

Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador

No representation

Capital city > Geographic coordinates

12 06 N, 15 02 E

Capital city > Time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Corruption

1.7

[160th of 160]

CPIA equity of public resource use rating

3

[53rd of 75]

Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission

Ambassador Louis NIGRO

Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX

[235] 251-56-54

Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone
[235] 251-62-11, [235] 251-70-09, [235] 251-77-59

Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission
Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR

Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone

[1] (202) 462-4009

Executive branch > Cabinet
Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

Executive branch > Election results
Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%, Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection

Executive branch > Head of government
Prime Minister Youssof Saleh ABBAS (since 16 April 2008)

Flag modification

6

[157th of 197]

Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition

July 4, 1980

General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$

128,569,300 constant 2000 US$

[109th of 145]

General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU

76565900000

General government final consumption expenditure > current US$

270,422,500 $

[126th of 169]

General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)

27.739 $ per capita

[134th of 184]

Independence
11 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Legal origin
French

Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the 1996 constitution called for a Senate that has never been formed

Legislative branch > Elections
National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held by 2009); note - legislative elections, originally scheduled for 2006, were first delayed by National Assembly action and subsequently by an accord, signed in August 2007, between government and opposition parties

Parliamentary seats > Female

2%

[130th of 143]

Political parties and leaders
Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire KOUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE]

Prime minister

Pascal Yoadimnadji

Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)

1.641 per 1 million people

[103rd of 170]

Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)

5.334 per 1 million people

[75th of 171]

Procedures to register property > number (per capita)

615.452 per 1 billion people

[86th of 167]

Start-up procedures to register a business > number

19

[2nd of 171]

Status

pseudo-democracy

Time required to build a warehouse > days

199 days

[74th of 168]

Time required to register property > days

44 days

[95th of 167]

Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours

122 hours

[135th of 169]

Transnational Issues > Disputes > International
since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

United Nations mission
http;//www.chadembassy.org/site/index.cfm

Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006

3.86

[97th of 119]

Civil and political liberties

1.5

[105th of 140]

CPIA policies for social inclusion/equity cluster average

2.8

[63rd of 75]

CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average

2.4

[68th of 75]

Electoral system

two-round system

Female candidacy

1,958

[44th of 161]

Female parliamentarians

2.4%

[145th of 157]

First female parliamentarian

1962 (elected)

Homosexuality laws of the world > Homosexuality laws > Laws against homosexuality

No

Parliamentary elections > Registered voter turnout

50.1%

[137th of 152]

Parliamentary elections > Turnout

25.6

[109th of 117]

Parliamentary elections > Voting age population

3,437,910

[84th of 163]

Presidential elections > Invalid votes

2.8%

[20th of 61]

Presidential elections > Total vote

2,487,220

[43rd of 87]

Presidential elections > Voter registration

4,069,100

[45th of 86]

Presidential elections > Voting age population (per capita)

367.871 per 1,000 people

[84th of 91]