Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Republic of Chad
Area: 1,284,000 sq km (500,000 sq mi)
Population: 7.5 million
Capital city: N'Djamena (pop 700,000)
People: 200 ethnic groups including the Sara, Bagirmi and Kreish (31%), Sudanic Arabs (26%), the Téda or Toubou (7%) and the Mbun (6.5%)
Language: French (official), Arabic, Saran
Religion: Muslim (44%), Christian (33%), local tribal beliefs (23%)
Government: Republic
Prime Minister: Nassour Guelendouksia Ouaido
President: Idriss Déby
Chad is the fifth-largest country in Africa. It's in north-central Africa, landlocked by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Niger and, on Lac Chad, Nigeria. Located on the edge of the Sahara, the country is mostly arid semi-desert. Lac Chad is the only permanent fresh water source, though in severe drought - such as in 1984 - it is possible to walk across it. In addition, increased demand on the water by humans has reduced the lake to only about 20% of the size it was in 1970. In the north there are mountain ranges, with two peaks rising above 3000m (9840ft), by far the highest points in the Sahara.
Chad contains three climatic regions. At times, it might be 40°C (102°F) in the capital, and as low as -8°C (15°F) in the northern Saharan mountains. The central region of Chad is part of the Sahel and is covered by sand which occasionally gives way to scrub. Rainfall is very light. As you move further south, the dryness gives way to a more tropical climate; it's here that you will find Chad's only two permanent rivers. This is the most fertile region in Chad and it effectively feeds the whole country. It is also the only area with significant fauna, mainly birds and antelope.
2500 years ago Lac Chad was about as big as present-day Greece and Yugoslavia combined. The climate was much wetter and wild animals were abundant. In the debilitating 1984 drought, it was possible to walk across it, and today, in the far north of the country, in the expanse of desert that was once lake and shore, archaeologists have uncovered a rich range of fossils and rock engravings made by hunters.
These hunters began raising cattle in settlements which later became walled cities. These Sao people developed the 'lost wax' method of bronze sculpture and were experts at pottery. Before the the 9th century, people moved to the region from the Nile Valley, intermarrying with the Sao and eventually overwhelming them. The state of Kanem was founded in the region, and lasted 1000 years. Over the next 300 years, increased trade in salt, slaves, copper and gold brought traders from the Mediterranean and the lower Nile. By 1200, Islam was the dominant religion. The kingdom expanded on the backs of slaves, becoming known as Kanem-Bornu, and held the mantle of 'empire' by the 17th century. In 1812 the empire collapsed when the Fulani people raided the capital.
At the same time, two other slave-trading Arab kingdoms had sprung up, controlling the trade routes and raiding the southern people for slaves. The Black Africans in the south were the focus of slave raids until the early 20th century, selling for the price of a horse; even poor Arab fishermen by Lac Chad owned a couple of slaves. About one in every five slaves captured died of cold, hunger, famine or disease en-route to the Muslim trading areas. When the dregs of the French colonial system arrived in Chad at the end of the 19th century, abolishing the slave trade, they became, not surprisingly, heroes of the beleagured southern population.
As soon as the French arrived and took control, they began leaving, making Chad the most neglected of all colonial outposts in French Africa. Despite numerical attrition, the French colonial spirit lived on. France concentrated their efforts in the fertile south, establishing cotton farms, taking a head tax and imposing quotas. They soon lost their popularity in the south, having never had it in the north. The northerners weren't offered the same educational opportunities as those in the south. Northerners also lost the Aouzou Strip on the northern border to Libya during WW2. When independence came in 1960, southerners had control of Chad. This jarred badly with the northerners who viewed the Black Africans as either subjects or slaves; certainly not leaders. Independence came at a time of political instability and economic weakness in Chad and, with the onset of cyclical droughts from the late 1960s, things only got worse. Civil unrest turned into civil war. The Black African government banned opposition parties and carried out mass killings. Revolts erupted. More killings ensued. At this point, Chad was much like its neighbours across Francophone north and central Africa, in a cycle of military crackdowns and attempted coups.
In 1968 French troops were called in to settle the fighting between the government and a guerilla group called Frolinat. Nothing was settled and in 1971 Libya weighed in, supplying arms to the rebels. The government attempted to quell the situation by releasing political prisoners. They also accepted Libyan leader Gaddafi's offer to stop supporting the guerillas if Chad renounced claims to the Aouzou border strip. Chad's leader, Tombalbaye, agreed, but then he virtually went crazy. In a frenzy of voodoo and nationalistic fervour, he forced the entire population to change their names to traditional African ones and made the civil service and the military undergo the yondo initiation rites of Tombalbaye's own tribe. Anyone who refused was summarily executed.
Tombalbaye had often claimed that he'd survived more plots on his life than any other African leader. Luck ran out in 1975, however, when he was assassinated in an army coup. At this point, things got really complicated. Gaddafi recommenced supplying arms to Frolinat, but that organisation was plagued by internal strife. Three or four splinter groups formed among the Arab rebels, with one led by Hissène Habré. He was expelled from Frolinat and continued fighting with his 500-strong army. Libya increased aid and Frolinat made headway, getting within 250km (155mi) of N'Djamena. France again stepped in, defeating Frolinat and installing a dual leadership with Habré as president and another tribal leader, Malloum, as head of state. France again stepped out, leaving another extremely volitile situation in its wake. Thousands of people were killed in the ensuing power struggle between Habré and Malloum in 1979. France forced the resignations of both leaders and for a few months, peace was restored. With five armies occupying the capital, however, it wasn't long before itchy trigger fingers were scratched. Many people fled this second 'Battle of N'Djamena' as Libya again weighed in with 2000 Libyan-trained Chadian troops. A Libyan-sponsored government lasted about six months before Habré's troops marched again victorious into the city in 1982.
Frolinat, beaten back to the north, was still active when its leader was placed under arrest by Libya for attempting to swap sides in 1985. Gradually, all the rebels began fighting the Libyans, turning a civil war into an international conflict. With French and US support, the Chadians drove Libya into the Tibesti mountains. Gaddafi signed an agreement relinquishing the mineral-rich Aouzou strip and, it seemed, the war was over. When a plane from N'Djamena carrying, among others, the US Ambassador's wife was blown up, many belived the Libyans were responsible.
While great in battle, Habré wasn't so hot as a national leader. His key advisors became disillusioned with him and plotted his overthrow. In late 1990 he was run out of office by Idris Déby, a military advisor. The day before leaving the country, the volatile Habré went on a senseless killing spree, ordering the execution of 300 political prisoners. He is now in exile in Senegal, but in early 1992 made a foray back into Chad, capturing two towns near Lac Chad before government troops and French paratroopers drove him back. In 1992 and 1993 there were five attempted coups and numerous crackdowns. In one of these, 15,000 civilians fled to the Central African Republic following massacres allegedly by government troops. And now, under pragmatic president Déby, something resembling order exists throughout Chad. While there are still numerous border hot-spots, and while human rights groups still deplore the unofficial police shoot-to-kill policy on criminals and voice concern over the number of disappearances and summary executions, Chad appears to be heading towards a period of rare stability.
GDP: US$4.3 billion
GDP per head: US$600
Annual growth: 5.5%
Inflation: 15%
Major industries: cotton, meat packing, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes
Major trading partners: Portugal, France, Germany, Cameroon, South Africa
With over 100 languages spoken, three major religions, three climatic zones and an ancient history, the culture of Chad is rich, diverse and complex. This complexity makes it extremely difficult to make general statements about the nation's culture as what is important for one group or region may not hold for another.
In the northern third of the country, in the heart of the Sahara, the Toubou people are in the majority. They are descendents of Berber migrants and are, like the Arabs to the south, Muslim. They are herders and nomads, fiercely independent, strong in battle and extremely clan-oriented. Each clan has access to specific wells, pastures and oases. Despite only numbering 150,000 people, the Toubou have controlled Chad since 1982.
Another broad grouping with a distinct cultural influence is the Arabs, concentrated in the middle-third of Chad and making up a third of Chad's population. Chadian Arabs are mostly semi-nomads, grazing their herds over the Sahel. There are many diverse ethnic sub-groups under the 'Arab' banner. The Maba people have a unique form of social structure originating in pre-Islamic times, based on four age grades. Cutting across kin and class divisions, people born within a certain time-frame move from one grade to another, bound by friendships and obligations for mutual aid. In the capital, you might be lucky enough to hear Arabic musicians playing traditional music. These people are usually from the griot caste and are professional musicians. They are the living archive of the Arab people's traditions, performing songs and epic narrations.
In the far south, another distinct set of cultural practices dominate. The people here are mostly Black African and non-Muslim. About a sixth of these people are Catholic, with most practicing traditional faiths. About 30% of Chad's population is made up of the Sara from this region. Over the past 500 years, these people have been subjected to some of the most inhumane treatment of any Africans on the continent. Many traditional cultural systems broke down over centuries of forced labour, mono-crop cotton farming and tax collection that undermined village chiefs. Yet the Sara have exhibited fierce survival skills - the women used to artificially elongate their lips to make themselves unattractive to slave raiders, and the Saran people enthusiastically grasped the meagre educational opportunities offered by the French - and now occupy most positions in the civil service.
Events
Not known for its party atmosphere, celebrations in Chad are confined to Muslim feasts, especially Tabaski or Id al Kabir, and private, tribe-specific ceremonies. On Sundays in N'Djamena many of the bars practice a modern ritual called the pari-match. Here, a young woman or women will book the entire bar, hoping to make money from alcohol sales. She will invite all her friends and acquaintences, but won't mind a bit if a stranger turns up in the mood for a few drinks. This practice doesn't occur in Muslim parts of town (naturally), and is frowned upon by the government.
Visas: Only German and French citizens can enter Chad without a visa. For all other nationals, visas for between one week and three months are fairly easy to obtain. From other African countries, visas are usually issued by the French embassy. You can't get a visa for Chad in Rwanda. Exit visas are required if travelling to Niger or Sudan.
Health risks: You will require immunisations (and, often, proof of this) against yellow fever, cholera, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A. You'll also need to guard against giardia, dysentry, fungal infections, rabies, tuberculosis, bilharzia, diptheria, malaria, typhus and a whole textbook of other water, insect and air-borne diseases.
Time: GMT/UTC + 1 hour
Electricity: 220 V
Weights & measures:Metric (see conversion table)
Money & Costs
Currency: Central African Franc (CFA)
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$0.35-$1.50
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$1.50-$4
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$4-7
- Budget room: US$9-$15
- Moderate hotel: US$15-$25
- Top-end hotel: US$35-$50
Roughing it in Chad is really roughing it. You can live in N'Djamena for very little money, but you'll be lowering pretty much every standard you possess. The mid-range hotels are often bordellos that charge hourly rates. This gives a fair indication of what the bottom end joints are going to be like. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, so keep your eyes open and you might get lucky. Sleeping in a dorm and eating cheap street food will set you back less than US$15 a day. Less than US$10 a day extra will get you a room with a ceiling fan and a private bathroom, and dinner in a restaurant. Car hire is ridiculously expensive throughout Africa and hire cars aren't permitted across national borders. Taxis and buses are inevitably a better option, but if you really want your own personal road transport, you could pay up to $50 a day. Add this to a top-end room and oodles of pricey food, and you could plough through US$130 a day if you tried.
If you're arriving with French or West African Francs, Air Afrique staff will often change your money for you if the bank is closed at the airport. Credit cards are only accepted at the two top hotels in N'Djamena, while travellers cheques can only be changed at the BIAT bank.
Tipping is a difficult issue throughout Africa. Basically, if you look like a hitch-hiker, take buses or shared taxis and eat at African restaurants, you won't be expected to tip. If you're clean-cut, you'll look rich; 10% in restaurants, hotels and taxis is considered appropriate. The same rule applies whether you're a westerner or a wealthy African.
When to Go
Because many of the roads in Chad aren't tarred, they become impossibly impassable in the wet season (June to September), so it's best to travel when it's dry. Between March and May, the average daily temperature of 45°C (110°F) also makes travel a little uncomfortable. From December to mid-February, the days are dry and warm and the nights quite cool, making this part of the year probably the best time to head to Chad.
N'Djamena
The Chadian capital was known as Fort-Lamy until 1973, and before the civil war was known as one of the nicest cities in the Sahel. Slowly, this reputation is returning, not least because the people are among the most friendly in Africa. This rapidly growing, rapidly modernising city offers great markets, interesting artisan goods and a thriving live music and bar scene. If the prices were a little cheaper and the police weren't shooting people in the street, it'd be almost perfect.
The city is divided into two sections, the European or administrative section and bigger, more lively African section. Places of interest include the remaining exhibits in the Musée National and the vast Grand Marché. You might also catch the horseracing at the hippodrome on the weekend or even play a round of golf about 4km (2.5mi) east of town.
Sarh
The capital of the south, and Chad's second biggest transport junction, Sarh will appear at first glance like a quiet, dull town. A step out into the humming nightlife, and you'll soon think differently. In town, you can rent a bicycle for a day, visit the central market and explore the museum. Sarh has much to recommend it, not least that it's one of the most hassle-free places in the country. Two flights and three buses a week connect N'Djamena with Sarh. The bus takes about 15 hours.
Moundou
Chad's third largest city is another pleasant, friendly town. It's the home of the Gala brewery, makers of possibly the best beer in the Sahel. Despite 20 years of wars, massacres and strife, the brewery never closed. The town is small enough to walk everywhere, but temperatures might raise a sweat. It's a relaxed town where you can enjoy a couple of markets, nice restaurants and great bars. Moundou is 400km (250mi) south of N'Djamena on a good road, however the only way to get there is to hitch a ride or get a taxi. Despite the short distance, the trip can be slow, and might take up to 24 hours.
Abéché
In the east of the country you will find Abéché, which had a population of 28,000 when the French arrived, but then fell victim to major epidemics early this century that wiped out three-quarters of the population. It has rebuilt itself - it now has 40,000 inhabitants - and has become a facinating old town. It is oriental in appearance, featuring mosques, narrow streets, old markets and dilapidated buildings. There is one flight a week to Abéché, though it is often cancelled. Hitching a lift with one of the huge trucks that ply the route is the next best way to get there. The trip will be a bumpy one, and take about three days. It's 270km (470mi) from N'Djamena.
Fada
About 1100km (680mi) from the capital, Fada is a small oasis town with around 5000 inhabitants. It's a modest town nestled in a beautiful area with weird rock formations and several fascinating grottos containing cave paintings, most over 5000 years old. The famous Guelta d'Archei geological formation is about 80km (50mi) from town. Hitching with trucks can take anywhere from three to five days, but saves you the hassle of finding a guide (best done in Kouba) and working your own way there. If you approach Fada from Abéché, you'll pass Libyan tanks rusting by the side of the road.
Faya
One of the largest oasis towns in the world, Faya is the administrative capital of the north. Amazingly, here in the centre of the Sahara, 2000km (1240mi) from the nearest ocean, where a decade can pass without a drop of rain falling, the main economic earner is agriculture. There is a huge reservoir of subterranean water that makes wheat, dates and figs profitable crops. Faya is 948km (590mi) north of N'Djamena and reachable in two days by 4WD. Hitching with trucks is possible, but the trip will take twice as long.
There isn't a huge range of organised activities in Chad. Just making it in and out is an all-consuming activity that leaves little time or energy for parasailing or bungee jumping. The mountains in the north would be a challenging climb for the adventurous if they weren't off-limits due to possible guerilla activity and the less than welcoming locals. There is one rocky outcrop good for climbing - though not commonly used for this purpose - on the eastern shore of Lac Chad at Hadjer al Hamis.
Getting There & Away
You can fly direct to Chad from Paris at least twice a week, as well as several times a week from Congo, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. Flights from Thailand via Bombay are also possible. Flights from most West African capitals are available once a week.
Minivans run between Sarh and Bangui in the Central African Republic. If you're leaving Chad this way, make sure your visa is stamped in Sarh or you'll be sent back. Travel between Chad and Niger or Sudan is theoretically possible, it's just a very difficult thing to make happen. Arranging permission can be very time-consuming. Travel into Sudan is extremely dangerous and shouldn't be attempted. Driving time from N'Djamena to Maroua in Cameroon is about four hours; the border post is open from 6 am to 5.30 pm. To get to or from Niger is easy on a paved road linking N'Djamena and Maiduguri. The more adventurous should try the direct route through eastern Niger from Zinder, passing north of Lac Chad. Coming into Chad, you're meant to pick up a guide at the border, but some report getting away without one. Offering a lift to someone in uniform will speed your journey considerably. Bring your own petrol.
Getting Around
Flying around Chad is often the only practical option, with flights costing, on average, US$70. Regular flights from the capital go to Moundou, Sahr and Abéché. Comfortable buses run regularly to Sarh, especially during the dry season, but by road your best bet is to thumb a ride with a truck driver. To move around in Chad, you'll often require an official autorisation de circuler, especially if you're headed north or west.
Recommended Reading
- While very little exists by way of printed histories of Chad, T Ranger's Aspects of Central African History is an interesting collection of essays picking up on major issues in the region.
- Modern Africa by Basil Davidson focuses on African history since 1900.
- Blaine Garden's Africa: Dispatches From a Fragile Continent examines why African political leadership has failed its people.
- Africa since 1800 by Roland Oliver and Anthony Atmore describes the colonial period right through to various African countries' roads to independence, as well as the post independence era to the early 80s.
- African Art in Cultural Perspective by William Bascom comes highly recommended. Its focus is sculpture, which it covers by region in West and Central Africa. It'd be well worth cramming into the backpack. Also check out the superb African Art by Frank Willett.
- For those interested in music, have a look at African Music, A People's Art by Camarounian author Francic Bebey. It's a paperback study of traditional music in Francophone Africa.
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