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Chad is located in Central Africa, the state is landlocked and surrounded by Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. The country is around 496,000 square miles, which makes it about the size of Texas.

Northern Chad is dominated by the Sahara Desert, Central Chad features the Sahel (grassland between the desert and the savanna), and finally, Southern Chad is more fertile and part of the Sudanian savanna.

Chad features one of the largest freshwater lakes known as "Lake Chad".

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Deeply influenced by geography, desert mobile cultures in the north, like the Toubou, Sahelian pastoralists, and agrarian cultures in the south. These cultures are also heavily influenced by music and dance. Using traditional instruments like drums, balafons, and fiddles, music plays a role in ceremonies and storytelling.

The religions practiced are a mix, which include Islam, Christianity, and indigenous beliefs are practiced all throughout the country. Along with this, many different languages are also well, and is a mix of French, Arabic, and many local languages and dialects are spoken (Sara, Kanuri).

Like languages, there are many different groups of people in Chad, over 200! These groups include Sara, Arab, Zaghawa, Kanembu, Toubou, and many, many others all throughout the state.

With so many different groups create different types of foods, one of the things that the culture is most well known for! A lot of their food features include millet, sorghum, rice, goat, lamb, chicken, and fish. Their most well-known meals are Boule (a millet porridge), Marrara (a holiday stew), and Daraba (an okra, tomato, and peanut butter dish).

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In prerecorded times, there were many settlements of the earliest humans that are estimated to be from 7,000 years ago, with early civilizations around Lake Chad engaging in fishing, farming, and trade. One of the many settlements was the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

During colonial times, Chad became part of French Equatorial Africa in the early 1900s. France controlled the region mainly for resources, with limited local development. Through the many painful years, the country gained back its freedom in 1960.

Their newfound freedom came with instability. Political tensions emerged between the Muslim north and the Christian/animist south. Civil wars and rebellions erupted and ran throughout the 1960s and 1970s. One of the most notorious people who ruled was Hissène Habré (1982–1990): His rule was marked by repression and human rights abuses, and later tried and convicted for crimes against humanity.

just when the people thought intense authoritarian ruling was over Idriss Déby took power in 1990 through a military coup. He established relative stability but ruled authoritarianly for 30+ years, and fought off various insurgencies and participated in regional anti-terror coalitions. Eventually, Déby was killed in 2021 during clashes with rebels near the frontline.

Recently, in 2024, Chad held presidential elections! Though they were controversial and criticized by opposition parties and observers.

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A nice brief explanation of Chad!

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Chad: History | Geography | People | Facts | Economy

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Chad became a republic in 1958 and gained full independence on August 11, 1960. Since then, it has faced decades of political instability, marked by dictatorship, single-party rule, and deep social divisions such as regionalism, tribalism, and human rights violations, which fueled conflict and distrust throughout the whole country.

In response, the Sovereign National Conference (1993) brought together diverse national groups and helped restore public confidence, paving the way for a new era. This led to the adoption of the 1996 Constitution, later revised in 2005 and 2013.

After 20 years under that framework, the Inclusive National Forum in 2018 introduced reforms aimed at strengthening democracy, decentralizing power, and modernizing state institutions, reflecting the people's aspirations for peace, unity, and prosperity.

Key principles in the Constitution are:

-Democracy and Rule of Law

-Separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judiciary

-Political pluralism – multiple parties allowed

-Human rights and freedoms are guaranteed (freedom of expression, religion, association, etc.)

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GDP: Approximately $32.4 billion (2023). ​

GDP per Capita: Around $1,700, placing Chad among the lower-income nations globally.​

GINI Index: 37.4 (2022), indicating a moderate level of income inequality. ​

Happiness Index: Scored 4.47 in 2024, slightly below the global average of 5.56.

Chad's cash cows are in Agriculture and Livestock, these sectors employ a significant portion of the population, with subsistence farming being prevalent.​ As well as oil, the state is a crucial export, but the country faces challenges in managing oil revenues effectively.

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Chad is a member of several international bodies, including:

-United Nations (UN)

-African Union (AU)

-Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

-Lake Chad Basin Commission

-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

-World Trade Organization (WTO)

France: Maintains close ties due to historical colonial relations and military cooperation.​

Sudan and Libya: Relations have been historically strained, with conflicts over border areas and support for opposing rebel groups.​

Israel: Diplomatic relations were re-established in 2019, marking a significant shift in Chad's foreign policy.​

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Chad is a unitary semi-presidential republic with a complex political landscape shaped by recent transitions.

Executive Branch: The President serves as both head of state and government.

Legislative Branch: Chad has a bicameral parliament comprising the National Assembly and the Senate.

Judiciary: The judiciary is constitutionally independent.

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Population 19.7M

People per sq. km 15.6

Males per 100 females 98.4

Children per woman 5.1

Goods exported from U.S. $59.9M

Goods imported to U.S. $80.8M

Change in exports from U.S. for 2015 to 2024 5.9%