Chad - Ciad

Chad is a state ofSaharan Africa which borders to the north with the Libya, to the east with the Sudan, south la Central African Republic, southwest with the Cameroon and the Nigeria and to the west the Niger.

To know

Chad is a country ofSaharan Africa, one of the least densely populated in theAfrica. The state can be divided in two, in the north a desert part full of oases, and in the south the savannah. In the southern part are the capital and Lake Chad which has dried up a lot in recent years. The state maintains an almost intact environment and ethnic diversity that can be seen in the numerous markets.

Geographical notes

The territory of Chad is included in a huge penepiano that slopes to the west into the depression of Lake Chad giving rise to an immense basin bounded to the north by the Tibesti massif, to the east by the Ennedi plateau and the Ouaddaï hills and to the south by the ridge The lowest point is located near lakes Chad and Fitri in the Bodele Depression, a large area occupied by sandy ergs. East of Lake Chad extends the Sahel while further south there is an area covered with savannas The southernmost part of the country is flat with savannahs and thick vegetation especially along the waterways, to the south-east is the Bongos massif.

In the northern part we find the Sahara desert where some mountain ranges wind and where we find the Ribesti, a massif of volcanic origin. The highest peak of the Ribesti is Emi Koussi, 3,415 meters.

Lake Chad, which is located between Chad and Cameroon, used to be the second largest lake in Africa but has shrunk dramatically over the past two decades and its area is now 10% of what it was previously.

When to go

Chad has four climate zones: vast and arid lowlands in the center, desert in the north, dry mountains in the north west, and tropical lowlands in the south. Proceeding south we pass from a desert climate with a very short or no wet season to a tropical one in which the wet season lasts even six / seven months with violent downpours. In the dry season, which culminates in January, the harmattan often blows, an intense wind that blows from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea. Environmental hazards in Chad include periodic droughts and the plague of locusts.

Background

Archaeological remains, including rock arts, show that Chad was already inhabited in prehistoric times. During the Middle Ages the territory was a crossroads for trade between the Arabs and local populations. In 1891 it became a French colony and then gained independence on 11 August 1960. From 1975 to 1987, the north of Chad was the scene of wars against troops Libyans.

On 23 December 2005, the government of Chad declared a state of war against Sudan, accusing it of having carried out attacks on the border villages between the two nations.

Spoken languages

In addition to the two official languages ​​(i.e. French and Arabic), more than 150 local languages ​​and dialects are spoken in Chad.The main language groups are:

• Sara-Bongo-Baguirmien (Sara, Bilala, Kenga);
• Chadian (Massa, Kabalaye, Toumak, Dangleat);
• Arabic;
• eastern Adamaoua (Toupouri, Mboum, Kim, Mesme, Moundang);
• Central Saharan (Kanembou, Kanouri, Teda, Daza, Baele).

Culture and traditions

In the streets of the capital you can hear the Arab musicians playing their traditional music, which with their songs and their narrations represent the living memory of the traditions of the Arab people.

Suggested readings

• M J Azevedo and Emmanuel Nnadozie, Chad: A Nation in Search of its Future, Westview Press Inc., 1997
• M J Azevedo, Roots of Violence: History of War in Chad, Routledge, 1998
• Zuchora-Walske, Christine, Chad in Pictures, Twenty-First Century Books, 2009
• André Gide Return to Chad, Longanesi 1969.

Territories and tourist destinations

Chad was divided into 22 regions, each of which is made up of 2-4 departments. The regions roughly correspond to the 14 Chadian prefectures that have existed since 1999.

Urban centers

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport, visa and international vaccination certificate. Since there is no Chadian diplomatic representation in Italy, it is necessary to contact the Chadian Embassy in Paris: then send them your passport, yellow fever vaccination, invitation letter, completed form, return flight booking and 70 euros of contributions.The yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all travelers, regardless from the origin.

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Niger is Senegal.

By car

On 16-December-2012, the Libya it has "temporarily" closed the land borders with Chad but to date it is not known when they will reopen.

On boat

It is not possible to arrive in Chad by ship unless illegally crossing Lake Chad.

On the train

There are no railway lines that can be used to get to the country.

How to get around

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What see

• Lake Chad - One of the largest lakes in the world.
• National Museum - Located ad N'Djamena.
• Gaoui - A village north of N'Djamena which was once the capital of the Sao people.

What to do

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Currency and purchases

CEMAC - Map of participating countries CFA Franc - Map of participating countries

The national currency is the CFA franc (XAF). This same currency is used by all states belonging to theEconomic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale - CEMAC). The following states belong to the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Chad. Although the Central African CFA Franc (XAF) and the West African CFA Franc (XOF) have always had the same monetary value against other currencies, they are in principle two separate currencies because the competent monetary authorities could change their rate at any time. exchange. Therefore these currencies are "theoretically" accepted only in the countries where they officially circulate. The following states belong to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine - UEMOA): Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal is Togo

UEMOA - Acceding countries map 1 CFA Franc coin

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD

At the table

The difficult living conditions of the population of Chad have greatly influenced the way of cooking of this poor population. Fishing is very popular, even if by women. But the foods are enriched with spices, the most cultivated vegetables are tomatoes, rice, cereals and peanuts. Among the best known specialties we have Shay (boiling tea and sugar), Kouroundjal (tea based on ginger) and Karkandji (tea based on carcadè).

Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

National holidays

When the Independence Day and the Republic Day fall on Sunday, the holiday can be postponed to the following Monday.

Being a predominantly Muslim nation, all the recurrences of Islam are celebrated.

Safety

Before embarking on the journey consult:

• Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information). 

The eastern and northern areas are to be avoided due to the presence of banditry and rebel movements. N'Djamena it is a city where caution must be taken at night for petty crime.

Health situation

Healthcare facilities are below the western level.

It is advisable to avoid consuming raw food, unwashed vegetables, water from the urban network, ice in drinks.

For travel to the country, the yellow fever vaccine is mandatory. Antimalarial prophylaxis and typhoid and hepatitis A and B vaccinations are recommended.

Respect the customs

How to keep in touch

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Chad
• Commons contains images or other files on Chad
• Wikinews contains current news on Chad