I. PRESENTATION OF THE COUNTRY 1.1.Geographic location 13. The Republic of Chad, in Arabic jumhūriyyat tshād ‫تشادجمهورية‬, is a landlocked country in central Africa located to the south of Libya, east of Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, north of the Central African Republic and to the west of Sudan. Its capital is N'Djamena. From a geographic and cultural standpoint, Chad is a gateway between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Covering a surface area of 1,284,000 km2, it is the fifth largest country in Africa. 14. Chad is divided into three main geographical areas: from north to south, there is a desert region, a semi-arid area and a sudanian savannah zone. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the largest wetland. The highest point of the country is the Emi Koussi (3,415 m above sea level) in the Tibesti mountains. 15. The country's landlocked geography is accentuated by the vastness of the territory, the harsh climate and the poor road network. Rainfall is abundant in the southern and central parts of Chad. Unpaved secondary roads deteriorate rapidly due to flooding, thereby restricting travel for several months during the year. Efforts deployed by the Government made it possible to pave the N'DjamenaAbeche route, which stretches across approximately 900 km from the central to the eastern part of the country. In the South, tar roads stretch from N'Djaména to Kyabé, i.e. nearly 1,000 kilometres. The sand dunes, which cover the entire arid northern region of the country, represent a major impediment to travel all year round. 16. Chad is a member of the African Union and the United Nations as well as regional communities including CEMAC, ECCAS, CILSS and CEN-SAD. 17. Proclaimed a Republic on 28 November 1958, Chad acceded to international sovereignty on 11 August 1960. 1.2.Socio-demographic and economic background 18. Chad's population was estimated at 11,631,456 inhabitants in 2015 (INSEED projections). The national average population density is 8.6 inhabitants/km². The average annual intercensal growth rate is 3.6%. 19. Women make up the majority of the population, i.e. 50.6%. 22.0% are estimated to be of reproductive age (15-49 years). The majority of Chad's population live in rural areas (78.1%). The urban population, which represents only 21.9% of the total population, is concentrated in N'Djamena and in the main towns of regions and departments, considered as urban centres. Based on the 2009 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH2), nomads represent 3.4% of the country's total Page 9 sur 87