Economy—overview: Landlocked Chad's economic development suffers from it's geographic remoteness drought lack of infrastructure and political turmoil. About 85% of the population depends on agriculture including the herding of livestock. Of Africa's Francophone countries Chad benefited least from the 50% devaluation of their currencies in January 1994. Financial aid from the World Bank the African Development Fund and other sources is directed largely at the improvement of agriculture especially livestock production. Lack of financing however is stalling the development of a southern oil field and the construction of a proposed oil pipeline through Cameroon.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$4.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.5% (1997 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$600 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 48% industry: 18% services: 34% (1995)
Exports: total value: $259 million (f.o.b. 1996 est.) commodities: cotton cattle textiles partners: Portugal 30% Germany 18% South Africa 16% France 7%
Imports: total value: $301 million (f.o.b. 1996 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 39% industrial goods 20% petroleum products 13% foodstuffs 9%; textiles; note—excludes military equipment partners: France 34% Cameroon 24% Nigeria 7% US 6%
Debt—external: $875 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA Francs (CFAF) per US$1—608.36 (January 1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995) 555.20 (1994) 283.16 (1993) note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
