Geography

Chad is a landlocked country, meaning that it has no coastline. It is surrounded by Libya to the north, the Sudan to the east, Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, and Nigeria and Niger to the west. The capital, N'Djamena, is on the Chari River in the southwestern part of the republic.

Chad consists of a large basin bounded by Lake Chad in the west and mountains on the north, east, and south. The country has an area of 495,755 square miles (1,284,000 square kilometers). The northern part of Chad lies in the Sahara, a vast region of deserts and oases. Emi Koussi, in the Tibesti Mountains, is the country's highest peak, at 11,204 feet (3,415 meters).

The center of the country is part of the semiarid Sahel, a hot, treeless plain that extends from the Atlantic coast across central Africa. The Sahel forms a transition zone between the desert to the north and the humid savannas to the south.

In the southern part of the country, called the Soudanian zone, are the lowlands of the Ubangi Plateau. This area is mostly savanna, or plains. It is wooded and humid, intersected by rivers.

The climate of Chad varies from region to region. The northern Saharan zone is generally hot and dry. It experiences dusty and violent sandstorms. The central Sahelian zone is mostly dry, with a rainy season from June to early September. It has suffered frequent prolonged droughts. The southern Soudanian zone is tropical, with a rainy season that lasts from May to October.

Plants and animals

Chad is divided into three main vegetation zones, depending on the rainfall. The hot, arid Saharan zone in the north has scarce vegetation. Water is scarce in this region most of the time, and wildlife throughout the year is limited primarily to antelopes, gazelles, and ostriches that can survive with little groundwater.

In the Sahelian zone, thorny shrubs and acacia trees grow wild. This central region has drought-resistant grasses and small woods. It is abundant in wildlife, with large mammals—such as the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, warthog, giraffe, antelope, lion, leopard, and cheetah—and a wide assortment of birds and reptiles. The rivers and the lake are among the richest in fish of all African waters.

The southern Soudanian region is covered with a mixture of tropical or subtropical grasses and woodlands. The growth is lush during the rainy season, with tall grasses, shrubs, and broad-leaved deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves seasonally). The region turns brown and dormant during the dry season, from November to March.

People and culture

The official languages of Chad are French and Arabic, but more than 200 distinct ethnic groups exist together in the country, speaking more than 100 different languages among them. Slightly more than half the population practices Islam, and about 35 percent are Christians. Many people in Chad practice traditional African religions as well. Although Chad is not a religious state, its peoples' economic, political, and social differences are closely tied to their religions. Tensions are particularly strong between the black, predominantly Christian population of the south and the nonblack, Muslim population of the north.

The southern third of Chad is the most heavily populated region. There are few cities in the country, and most of the people are either nomads or live on small farms.

Economy

Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, partly because it is so remote and suffers from many droughts. The main food crops are sorghum, peanuts (groundnuts), millet, cassava, and yams. Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised. The few industries include cotton ginning and textiles.

Cotton makes up more than half of Chad's exports, and meat, fish, and live cattle are also important. Most exports go to Europe and to other parts of Africa. The country's main imports are petroleum products, manufactured goods, and food products.

Transportation is not well developed in Chad. Travel within the country is primarily by road. There are no railways, and water transportation is unreliable because water levels often change. The international airport at N'Djamena links Chad with neighboring African countries and with Europe.

History

The Lake Chad region has been settled since about 500 BC. In the 8th century AD Berbers from North Africa began migrating to the area. Soon the kingdom of Kanem was founded; it converted to Islam at the end of the 11th century and later merged with the Bornu kingdom west of Lake Chad. Kanem-Bornu controlled important trade routes across the Sahara and reached the height of its power and prosperity in the 16th century.

Eventually Europeans arrived in the region and took control. In 1910, Chad became a part of French Equatorial Africa, which also included the present-day Central African Republic, Gabon, and Congo. In 1946, it became a French overseas territory.

Chad became an independent republic in 1960. Civil war broke out in the mid-1960s when two different groups tried to overthrow the government. They both wanted the country to have closer ties with Arab North Africa. Civil war continued as the two northern groups turned to fighting one another for control of the country.

In 1990 rebel leader General Idriss Déby took control of the government. He took steps to bring democracy to Chad through free elections, but the conflict continued. Population (2000 estimate), 8,425,000.