The name of the country Chad is derived from the lake called Lake Chad which is now officially known as the “Republic of Chad” in central Africa. The country is sometimes known by the name “Dead heart of Africa” due to its desert climate and distance from the sea. The capital of Chad is N’Djamena.
The country share its borders with the Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest and Niger to the west.
Chad Etymology:-
The Chad is derived from the Scottish name of the river gravel and about this a joke was also famous which quotes-“Saint Chad is the patron sand of the disputed elections.”
History of Chad:-
As the ecological conditions favored the human settlement there is a large increase in the country’s population. The first people in Chad are Sao who are famous for their artifacts and the oral histories.
In 1920 France has a full control over the country and the motto of France is not to unify the territory. As a result of which the people became slaves of the France government due to which the educational system of the country Chad suffered a lot.
The status of overseas territory and the right to elect the representatives were given by the France to the Chad after the world war-II. After that the Chadian Progressive Party was established and under the rule of the president Francois Tombalbaye Chad got independence from France on 11 August, 1960.
In 1965 civil war was broken by the Muslims under which the president was killed in 1975. Then the French president Hissene Habre was elected and favored the Daza ethnic group but he was also succeeded by his general Idris Debey in 1990. He introduced the multiparty politics and formed a new constitution.
Chad Politics and government:-
As Chad is known as the corrupt country in the world therefore it is headed by the president who has all the powers to elect the prime minister and the cabinets. The term limit for the post of president is five years but it is removed in 2005.
The legal system of the country is based on the federal and the customary law. The highest courts of the country are the Supreme Court and the constitutional council. The Supreme Court consists of the chief justice and other 15 counselors while the constitutional court comprises of the 9 judges who have the power to sign the treaties and the international agreements.
The National Assembly body consists of the 155 members and their president is elected after every two years. The president has the right to pass or reject the laws within 15
days and also has the power to call the new legislative elections if the assembly rejected the executive branch programme twice in a year.
Chad Geography:-
The country is located between 8 degree ad 24 degree north and between 14 degree and 24 degree east. The three geographical regions into which Chad is divided are desert zone in the north, Sahelian belt in the centre, and Sudanese Savanna zone in the south. The largest wetland is Lake Chad and the highest peak of Chad is Emi Koussi.
Chad Currency:-
CFA Franc. is the currency which is basically used in Chad.
Chad Economy:-
As most of the population of the lives below the poverty line due to which the country is ranked as the fifth poorest country in the world. The cultivation of the crop is fully dependent on the climate as a result of which the person has to depend on livestock to raise his living.
Before the exportation of oil the cotton is the major source of export. After the completion of pipeline in 2003 the oil production begins. In 2006 the memorandum of understanding is signed between the World Bank and Chad under which it is decided that 70% of its spending is used to reduce poverty.
For the transportation of the Chadian exports and imports the country has to depend highly on the Cameroon’s rail system and on the Douala seaport. Even the system of communication is very expensive and for power most of the population burns wood and animal manure.
Chad Demographics:-
About 10 million people are residing in Chad who speaks the Arabic and French languages. The religion which is followed by the people is Islam. Most of the population is residing in its capital but other major towns are Sarh, Moundou, and Doba. The women of the country Chad are less qualified.
Chad Culture:-
Due to the existence of large number of people and languages the Chadian culture is very rich. Tibesti, Chari Jazz, International Challal, and African melody are some of the popular performers of Chadian music. The famous instruments are hu hu, kakaki, whistles, balafones, and kodjo drums. They used calabashes as loudspeakers.
The main cuisine of the country is millet which is known by the different names as alysh in the north and biya in the south. They also include salanga fish means sun dried and banda means smoked larger fish in their diet. In alcohol the millet bear and coshate are famous.
Football is the national sport of the country and the first feature film which was made in 1999 was “Docudrama Bye Bye Africa” by Mahamat Saleh Haroun. |
