Chad

The Republic of Chad is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west.

N'Djamena is the capital.

French and Arabic are the official languages.

Population, 18,430,442. Size, 1,284,000 km^2.

The Central African CFA franc (XAF) is the official currency.

Islam (55.1%) and Christianity (41.1%) are the main religions practiced .

Major cities include Moundou, Sarh, Abéché, and Kelo.

Boule, a porridge like dish, is the most common national dish. The porridge is made from millet in the south and maize is more commonly used in the north. The porridge is shaped into a ball and served with various sauces. Principal food crops are cassava, sugarcane, millet, and yams. Peanuts, rice, wheat, sweet potatoes, dates, and corn are also grown.

Seasonal temperatures vary considerably with temperatures ranging from 20-27°C in the winter and between 27-35°C in the summer. Northern Chad extends into the Sahara Desert and receives very little annual rainfall with seasonal temperature variations similar to that of the central region.

The Tibesti Mountains are home to some of the best camel racing in the world. Tibesti means "the place where mountain people lives". It is the home of the Toubou tribe - the mountain people. For every 23,600 people in Chad, there is only one Chadian doctor available. Chad is known as "The Babel Tower of the World" because of its cultural diversity. It has over 200 ethnic groups and 100 languages spoken in the country. The goat and lion are the national symbols. The National animal for the northern part of the country is the mountain goat while the southern part is represented by a lion. The country is named after Lake Chad. The lake is the largest wetland in Chad and the second-largest in Africa. Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world. Crude oil has been the primary source of the country’s economy since 2003. Earlier, cotton played a significant role in bringing wealth to the nation. Chad has ample reserves of gold and uranium and the mining industry has not received adequate attention and investment since the discovery of oil. People of Chad use Kakaki, a long metal trumpet of about three to four meters long in traditional ceremonial music - the instrument signifies power. The date palm is the only tree that grows in the Sahara region. The northeast African cheetah is the wildlife that can be found in the Chad area of the desert.