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World Map> Africa> Chad> Map of Chad

Description The ancient land called Chad was inhabited over one million years ago, at a time when much of it was only water. In modern Chad, precious water is often difficult to find, while famine and war seem everywhere. Over the centuries it served as the stomping-ground of sorts for a litany of cultures and kingdoms, and when the French arrived in 1891, they subsequently controlled it until Chad gained its independence in 1960. Decades of ethnic warfare followed, as well as invasions from Libya, its most powerful neighbor. A certain level of peace was restored in 1990, but local power struggles continue, and the future of this unstable land is uncertain at best. Much of the country is positioned within the hot and dry (and mostly unproductive) Sahara Desert, where Chad is covered by sand and barren scrub land. In the far south, and in the southwest, surrounding Lake Chad, conditions improve to support an abundance of wildlife and agricultural ventures. Chad's economy has recently benefited from a series of major oilfield and pipeline projects, while cattle, cotton and gum arabic have long been the traditional economic mainstays. Longterm weaknesses include its landlocked position, oppressive poverty, the shrinking of Lake Chad, and the ever increasing expansion of the Sahara Desert. Facts and Figures Official Name Republic of Chad Population 9,944,201 Capital City N'Djaména (680,000) Largest Cities N'Djaména, Moundou, Sarh Currency CFA Franc Currency Converter here Latitude/Longitude 12º11' N, 15º05' E Languages French (official), Arabic (official), and numerous trobal dialects. Flag here National Day 11 August; Independence Day Religions Muslim, Christian, others Land Land Area 1,259,200 sq km (586,177 sq miles) Landforms In the northern reaches of the country, the Tibesti Mountains dominate the landscape of the surrounding Sahara Desert. The Sahel, on the southern edges of the ever-expanding Sahara Desert, is a transition zone between the dry areas of the north and the tropical areas of the south. It receives very little rain, and most of the vegetation is a savanna growth of sparse grasses and shrubs. The land rise into the Ennedi and Wadai plateaus along the eastern border with Sudan, where elevations reach near 2000 ft. In the south the forested land is nourished by the Chari and Logone Rivers. During the monsoon rains, Lake Chad often overflows, causing floods in the lowland depression of the south. Highest Pt. Emi Koussi (3,415 m) (11,204 ft) Lowest Pt. Djourab Depression (160 m) (524 ft) Land Divisions 14 prefectures; including Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat and Tandjile.

Maps LARGE (color) map here Chad Outline Map here Chad Map CIA version here Chad Maps at UT here African Continent (printable) here African Continent here Africa Landforms Map here African Outline Map here Recommended Links Chad (Complete) information on the (GDP) overall economy, imports and exports, resources, government, population, military, transportation and more here Chad Embassy (Washington DC) here Chad Travel Info and Warnings here Lake Chad is Shrinking - details here PASSPORTS - TRAVEL VISAS NOTE: Before making your travel plans to any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding all passport and visa requirements. The experienced people at Travel Visa Pro can answer all of your questions! Sahara Desert Photos here Climate The Sahara Desert regions are hot and dry throughout the year, with little or no rainfall. Temperatures are much cooler along the south-central Sahel. Rainfall there averages near 15 inches annually. Drought, however, is commonplace. In the southern regions, rainfall is much heavier, averaging near 30 inches annually. The mean temperature in N'Djaména is 82º F, (28º C)

African Countries Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo (DRC) Cote d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe

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