Chad is linked together with several other countries in central Africa in the Central African Economic and Monetary Union. The monetary union uses a common currency, the CFA franc, which is issued by the Bank of Central African States. It was pegged to the euro in 2002.

The country relies heavily on foreign financial assistance. The sums received exceed export earnings and in many years constitute as much as a quarter of the gross national product. The main imports are machinery and equipment, food products, and textiles. Petroleum is by far the main export; raw cotton, live cattle, meat, and fish are also exported. Primary trade partners include China, France, Germany, and Turkey.

Transportation

Chad’s economic development is primarily contingent upon the establishment of an effective transportation network. There are three access routes to the sea—by road, river, or rail, through neighboring countries. Most of the country’s roads and trails are impractical for travel during part of the rainy season. Year-round traffic is possible on gravel-surfaced roads and on a paved section between N’Djamena and Guélendeng. Three major road axes, forming a triangle joining N’Djamena, Sarh, and Abéché, were completed but have fallen into disrepair. In 1985 a bridge across the Chari River to Kousseri, Cameroon, ended N’Djamena’s dependence on an unreliable ferry for its road connection through Cameroon to the railhead at Ngaoundéré and the sea.

Rivers are of secondary importance because of great seasonal fluctuations in water levels, with only about half the total river length navigable year-round. The Chari is navigable between Sarh and N’Djamena through August and December, and the Logone is navigable between Mondou and N’Djamena in September and October. Two railways have their terminals near the Chad border. Across the Nigerian frontier to the west there is a railhead at Maiduguri, which links up with the Nigerian ports of Lagos and Port Harcourt. Across the Sudanese frontier to the east is the railhead at Nyala, which leads eventually to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Air traffic plays an important role in the Chad economy, in view of the paucity of alternative means. N’Djamena’s international airport can accommodate large jets, and there are more than 40 secondary airports located throughout the country.

Constitutional framework

Chad has had several constitutions—some of which were later amended—since it became an independent country in 1960. The most recent versions were the 1996, 2018, and 2023 constitutions.

After the unexpected death of Pres. Idriss Déby Itno in April 2021, the military dissolved the government and National Assembly, suspended the 2018 constitution, and established a military council, the National Council of Transition, to govern for an 18-month period; in October 2022 the military council was replaced with a new transitional national unity government that would govern for two more years. A new constitution was approved by referendum in December 2023 and promulgated later that month.

Under the constitution of 2023, Chad is a republic. The executive branch of the government is represented by the president, who serves as the head of state. The president is elected by universal suffrage to a five-year term and is eligible to serve one consecutive term. The prime minister, who is appointed by the president, serves as the head of government. The constitution provides for legislative power to be exercised by the bicameral parliament, comprising the National Assembly and the Senate. Members of the National Assembly will be directly elected to five-year terms, which are renewable. Two-thirds of the Senate will be indirectly elected by electoral college composed of municipal and provincial councillors, and one-third will be appointed by the president. Senators will serve six-year terms, which are renewable. Elections for the new bicameral parliament were scheduled to be held on December 29, 2024.

Justice

The 2023 constitution provides for an independent judiciary. The Supreme Court is the country’s highest court; there are also courts of appeals and tribunals. The Constitutional Council rules on the constitutionality of laws, treaties, and international agreements; it is also responsible for validating election results and hearing any electoral disputes.

Health and welfare

There are major hospitals at N’Djamena, Sarh, Moundou, Bongor, and Abéché. Other health facilities include dispensaries and infirmaries dispersed throughout the country. The government, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, has developed a health education and training program. Campaigns have been conducted against malaria, sleeping sickness, leprosy, and other diseases.

The primary causes of death in Chad include lower respiratory infections, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. The country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is well above the world average but similar to that of some neighboring countries.