Chad

Travel with us to Central Africa, to Chad - a land-locked country of dry deserts, arid plains, mountainous peaks and fertile farmland. But after years of fighting, Chad remains one of Africa’s poorest nations. Our printable resources below are a good way to find out more and test your knowledge.

Women of Chad collecting water

A Little Geography…

• Chad is bordered by six countries – Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Sudan. The capital is N’Djamena.
• The country has a population of about 11.8 million people, living in an area of about 1.2 million square kilometres. The official languages are French and Arabic, although more than 120 tribal languages are also spoken.
• The landscape is varied from deserts and mountains in the north to arid plains in the centre, and tropical lowlands in the south. Chad’s highest peak is the volcano Emi Koussi at 3,445 metres.
• In the southwest, Lake Chad is an important water source. But its size has reduced dramatically (by 90%) in the past 50 years. This is due to the use of water for crops (particularly cotton), the demands of an increasing population, and the effects of climate  change.
• More than two-thirds of people live in rural areas, where they fish, raise livestock (cattle, sheep and goats), or grow food to feed their families. Chad also has reserves of gold and uranium, but since 2003, investment has focused on the oil industry. Other  important exports are cotton, meat, tea and tobacco.

A Little History…

• The fertile land near Lake Chad has been a haven for settlers for thousands of years. In the drier northern areas, people tended to move around in search of land to graze their livestock.
• When the Europeans arrived in the late 1880’s, the French began to take control. They encouraged the growth of cotton (as a cash crop) in the south. Chad gained independence from France, however, in 1960.
• Since independence, the country has been plagued by civil war. The north is mainly Muslim, while the south is mostly Christian. But with over 200 ethnic groups also in the mix, there are disagreements about who should rule.
• The country has also struggled with drought conditions and the arrival of refugees, coming into the country to escape conflict in Sudan and the Central African Republic, for example.

And Some Interesting Facts…

• Each year, hundreds of bird species migrate to the area around Lake Chad. The lake is also home to over 40 species of fish, although numbers are declining as the lake shrinks.
• Chad has a wide variety of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, lions and leopards. Hunting and habitat loss (for agriculture) have been problems in the past, but animals are now protected in national parks and nature reserves. The country is also home to some rare reptile species, such as skinks (lizards), and rock pythons and spitting cobras (snakes).
• Chad’s flag is almost identical to the flag of Romania (three vertical bands of blue, yellow and red), although the blue is slightly darker. These colours are said to represent the country’s sky and agricultural strength, the desert and sun, and prosperity and the blood shed for independence. The country’s national symbols are the goat and the lion.

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The Chad Flag

The flag of Chad consists of two colours from the French Tricolore (red and blue), and two Pan African colours (red and yellow). It was first adopted on the 6th November, 1959.

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Our Chad Resources