# Chad

> sovereign state in central Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q657](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q657)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/chad

## Summary

Chad is a country located on the continent of Africa [1]. It has a population of 19.3M as of 2023 [2] and covers an area of 1.3M .The official languages spoken in Chad are French and Arabic [3]. This linguistic diversity reflects the country's cultural heritage.Chad operates on two time zones, namely UTC+01:00 and Africa/Ndjamena [4]. This time zone setup is unique to the country.With its large area and significant population, Chad presents a notable presence in Africa [1]. Its population and area make it a country of interest [2].

## Summary
Chad is a sovereign state and landlocked country located in Central Africa, officially known as the Republic of Chad. It gained independence on August 11, 1960, and operates as a presidential republic with N'Djamena as its capital city. The nation is named after Lake Chad and is a member of international organizations including the United Nations, the African Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

## Key Facts
- **Status**: Sovereign state, country, and landlocked country in Central Africa.
- **Capital**: N'Djamena.
- **Independence**: August 11, 1960.
- **Area**: 1,284,000 square kilometres.
- **Population**: Approximately 19,319,064 (2023 estimate).
- **Official Languages**: French and Arabic.
- **Currency**: Central African CFA franc.
- **Government**: Head of State is Mahamat Déby; legislative body is the National Assembly.
- **Geography**: Borders Cameroon, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the League of Arab States.
- **Highest Point**: Emi Koussi (3,415 metres).
- **Lowest Point**: Bodélé Depression (−160 metres).
- **Time Zone**: UTC+01:00 (Africa/Ndjamena).
- **International Code**: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code TD, alpha-3 code TCD.
- **Internet Domain**: .td.
- **Calling Code**: +235.

## FAQs
**What is the capital of Chad?**
The capital city of Chad is N'Djamena, which also serves as the country's economic and political center.

**When did Chad gain independence?**
Chad became an independent sovereign state on August 11, 1960.

**What are the official languages of Chad?**
Chad recognizes French and Arabic as its official languages, though numerous other languages such as Shuwa, Hausa, and Kanembu are used throughout the country.

**Who is the current head of state of Chad?**
As of the latest data provided, the head of state is Mahamat Déby.

**What currency is used in Chad?**
The country uses the Central African CFA franc, which is issued by the Bank of Central African States.

**What international organizations is Chad a member of?**
Chad is a member of the United Nations (joining September 20, 1960), the African Union, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (joining in 1969), and the World Bank Group, among others.

**What is the geography of Chad like?**
Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa with a total area of 1,284,000 square kilometres, featuring Lake Chad to the west and the Emi Koussi volcano in the north.

## Why It Matters
Chad serves as a strategic geopolitical bridge in Central Africa, bordering both North and Sub-Saharan regions. It plays a critical role in regional security organizations such as the G5 Sahel and the Multinational Joint Task Force. As a member of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), it participates in a unified economic bloc utilizing the Central African CFA franc. The country's stability and development are focal points for international aid and UN operations, given its low Human Development Index and high fertility rates, which influence demographic trends across the Sahel.

## Notable For
- **Natural Geography**: Named after the physically significant Lake Chad and home to Emi Koussi, the highest peak in the Sahara (3,415m).
- **Cultural Identity**: Uses the tourism slogan "Oasis of the Sahel" and the national motto "Unité, Travail, Progrès" (Unity, Work, Progress).
- **Legal Framework**: Follows the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence (Madhhab).
- **Infrastructure**: Drives on the right side of the road, uses Type E electrical plugs with a 220V supply, and maintains the "Chad" subreddit.
- **Data Presence**: Has a vast digital footprint across global databases including extensive identifiers in Wikidata, VIAF, and library congresses.

## Body

### Geography and Physical Features
Chad encompasses a total area of 1,284,000 square kilometres and is classified as a landlocked country situated in Central Africa. The nation's geography is defined by its location within the Sahel region and borders six neighboring countries: Cameroon, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. It also shares a border designation with the League of Arab States. The country is named after Lake Chad, a major geographical feature located within or adjacent to its territory. The capital city, N'Djamena, serves as the primary administrative center.

The terrain features diverse elevations, with the highest point being Emi Koussi at 3,415 metres and the lowest point being the Bodélé Depression at −160 metres. The coordinates for the country generally center around 15.466667° N latitude and 19.4° E longitude. The administrative structure includes the capital region N'Djamena and various provinces such as Bahr el Gazel, Batha Region, Borkou, Chari-Baguirmi Region, Ennedi Region, Guéra Region, Hadjer-Lamis, Kanem Region, Lac Region, Logone Occidental Region, Mandoul Region, Mayo-Kebbi Est Region, Mayo-Kebbi Ouest Region, Moyen-Chari Region, Ouaddaï Region, Salamat Region, Sila Region, Tandjilé Region, Tibesti Region, Wadi Fira Region, and Logone Oriental Region.

### History and Politics
Chad's inception as a sovereign state is recorded as August 11, 1960. The official name of the country is the Republic of Chad (also referred to as Tchad or la République du Tchad). The national motto is "Unité, Travail, Progrès," which translates to "Unity, Work, Progress." The national anthem is "La Tchadienne."

The government operates as a presidential system. The head of state is the President of Chad, a role currently held by Mahamat Déby. Previous leadership included Idriss Déby, who served from December 2, 1990, until April 20, 2021. The executive body is the Government of Chad. The legislative branch consists of the National Assembly. The highest judicial authority is the Supreme Court of Chad.

Diplomatic relations are maintained with numerous nations, including Germany (since 1960), Taiwan, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, France, Romania, the United States, the People's Republic of China, the European Union, and North Korea (since May 8, 1969). Chad is also twinned with the administrative body of Aisai.

### Demographics and Society
Chad has a population that has grown significantly over the decades, rising from approximately 3 million in 1960 to an estimated 19,319,064 in 2023. Detailed demographic data indicates a population of 16,143,937 in 2010, growing to 17,425,366 (male: 8,896,002; female: 8,527,313) in 2022. The country has a high birth rate (43.184 in 2022) and a death rate of 12.157 in the same year.

Life expectancy has gradually increased from approximately 47.6 years in 1999 to 52.903 years in 2016. The Human Development Index (HDI) for 2021 was recorded at 0.394, while the Gini coefficient stood at 37.5 in 2018. The total fertility rate is high, recorded at 6.156 in 2014. The unemployment rate was 7% in 2014.

The society is linguistically diverse, with French and Arabic serving as official languages. A wide array of other languages are used, including Shuwa, Bon Gula, Jaya, Horo, Gulay, Koke, Tunia, Karanga, Naba, Kaba So, Zan Gula, Marfa, Surbakhal, Goundo, Dangaléat, Besme, Fania, Lele, Morom, Masmaje, Mogum, Kwang, Mokilko, Ngambay, Mabire, Kabalai, Kajakse, Fongoro, Kimré, Sokoro, Toram, Miltu, Mawa, Gabri, Tamki, Mire, Buso, Tobanga, Mubi, Zirenkel, Sungor, Lagwan, Malgbe, Maslam, Mser, Daju Mongo, Babalia Creole Arabic, Mbay, Mbara, Disa, Tumak, Muskum, Saba, Gula, Nancere, Sila language (Chad), Kabba, Kaba, Kaba Deme, Somrai, Musgu, Ngam, Mpade, Kuo, Laka, Mangbai, Lutos, Majera, Day, Hausa, Modern Standard Arabic, Dazaga-kara, Masalit, Massa, Marba, Kendeje, Sinyar, Sar, Kanembu, Tama, Kim, Karang, Kenga, Maba, Moundang, Beraku, Gidar, Pana, Noy, Nzakambay, Teda, Tupuri, Kera, Peve, Gadang, Boor, Zaghawa, Musey, Mararit, Ndam, Barein, Yedina, Birgit, Mesme, Ubi, Migaama, Jonkor Bourmataguil, Bidiyo, Sarua, Amdang, Bua, Fur, Gula Iro, Kujargé, Laal, Niellim, Sango, Bagirmi, Massalat, Gor, Mango, Bedjond, Chadian Sign Language, Bagirmi Fulfulde, Central Kanuri, Adamaua-Fulfulde, Herdé, Runga, Ngete, Kibet, Bolgo, and Arabic.

The demonym for people from Chad is "Chadian," though variations exist in many languages (e.g., *Tchadien* in French, *تشادي* in Arabic). The marriageable age is set at 18 for males and 15 for females.

### Economy and Infrastructure
The economy of Chad utilizes the Central African CFA franc as its currency, managed by the Bank of Central African States. The country has a value-added tax (VAT) rate of 18%. Nominal GDP figures show growth from approximately $11.78 billion USD in 2021 to $12.70 billion USD in 2022.

Infrastructure details indicate that Chad drives on the right side of the road. The electrical supply is 220 volts at a frequency of 50 Hz, utilizing Type E plugs (Europlug, British and related types). The country code for telephone calls is +235, and the top-level internet domain is .td. License plate codes include TCH and TD (both from 1973).

Emergency services are accessible via specific numbers: 17 for police, 18 for emergency medical services, and 2251-4242 for the fire department. The mains voltage is standardized at 220V.

### International Relations and Organizations
Chad is an active participant in global and regional organizations. It joined the United Nations on September 20, 1960. It is a member of the African Union, the World Trade Organization, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (joining in 1969). Chad is also part of the World Bank Group, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (joined July 10, 1963), the International Development Association (joined November 7, 1963), the International Finance Corporation (joined April 2, 1998), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (joined June 11, 2002), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (joined October 14, 1966).

Regional memberships include the African Development Bank, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Bank of Central African States, OHADA, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Chad is also a member of Interpol (joined September 19, 1962), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (joined March 14, 2004), UNESCO (joined December 19, 1960), AFRISTAT (joined September 21, 1993), the Universal Postal Union (joined June 23, 1961), the International Telecommunication Union (joined November 25, 1960), the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (joined in 1970), the International Civil Defence Organisation (joined March 1, 1972), the World Meteorological Organization (joined February 2, 1961), the World Health Organization, the World Customs Organization (joined February 16, 2005), the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the Multinational Joint Task Force. Additionally, Chad is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

### Culture and Symbols
Chad's national symbols include the flag of Chad and the coat of arms of Chad. The country promotes itself with the tourism slogan "Oasis of the Sahel." The prevailing school of Islamic jurisprudence (Madhhab) is Malikism.

The cultural landscape includes numerous identifiers and archives. The culture of Chad is documented in various academic and library databases. The country has a presence on social platforms, including a dedicated subreddit.

### Data and Identifiers
Chad is extensively indexed in global information systems.
*   **ISO Codes**: Alpha-2: TD, Alpha-3: TCD, Numeric: 148.
*   **IOC Code**: CHA.
*   **UNDP Code**: CHD.
*   **M49 Code**: 148.
*   **ITU Letter Code**: TCD.
*   **WIPO ST.3**: TD.
*   **Library and Academic IDs**: ISNI (0000000121851881), GND ID (4061074-3), BabelNet ID (00017456n), FAST ID (1208478), VIAF ID (151207935), IdRef ID (026402106), Library of Congress Authority ID (n80049721), and Bibliothèque nationale de France ID (11865632d).
*   **Geographic IDs**: GeoNames ID (2434508), OpenStreetMap Relation ID (2361304), and Who's On First ID (85632325).
*   **Sports IDs**: IOC country code CHA and FIFA code (implied by football context usually, though strictly source lists IOC).
*   **Unicode Character**: 🇹🇩.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.workwithdata.com/place/chad)
2. Chadian constitution of 1996
3. [Source](https://icannwiki.org/Country_code_top-level_domain)
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. [Source](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb-2021e/africa)
6. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q797915)
7. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q823240)
8. [Source](https://www.oic-oci.org/states/?lan=en)
9. [Interpol](https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/World)
10. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Africa/CHAD)
11. [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons](https://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/member-states/)
12. [Source](https://www.opcw.org/about-us/member-states/chad)
13. [Source](http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/ListeMS_Indicators.asp)
14. [Source](http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html)
15. [Source](https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Member-Countries?csid=-1&cid=67)
16. [Source](https://www.itu.int/online/mm/scripts/gensel8)
17. [Source](http://icdo.org/who-we-are/members/member-states.html)
18. [Source](https://public.wmo.int/en/members/chad)
19. [Source](https://www.who.int/choice/demography/by_country/en/)
20. [Source](https://www.wcoomd.org/-/media/wco/public/global/pdf/about-us/wco-members/list-of-members-with-membership-date.pdf)
21. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Continental_Free_Trade_Area#List_of_signatories_and_parties_to_the_agreement)
22. [Source](https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements/groupings/19/cemac-economic-and-monetary-community-of-central-africa-)
23. [Source](https://www.ncnk.org/sites/default/files/content/resources/publications/NCNK_Issue_Brief_DPRK_Diplomatic_Relations.pdf)
24. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
25. [Source](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/)
26. FIPS 10-4
27. [Virtual International Authority File](http://www.viaf.org/viaf/151207935/)
28. MusicBrainz
29. [Human Development Report. 2022](https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI)
30. World Bank Open Data
31. census
32. [Source](https://data.who.int/countries/148)
33. [Source](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI)
34. [Source](http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS)
35. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)
36. Official Names of the United Nations Membership
37. The National Terminology Database for Irish
38. [Source](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2017)
39. BBC Things
40. [Source](http://chartsbin.com/view/edr)
41. [World Bank](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD)
42. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DEMO_DS)
43. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3372)
44. BabelNet
45. [World Plugs](http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/list_bylocation.htm)
46. [Source](https://countrycodebase.com/undp/)
47. [Chad - Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chad/@15.4008445,14.2396895,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0xa98aa262f355fd67!2sNeuruppin!3b1!8m2!3d52.9154545!4d12.7990783!3m4!1s0x10e73978bd677361:0x3b60835bcec0809c!8m2!3d14.9978519!4d18.7097168)
48. [Source](https://apps.who.int/gho/athena/data/xmart.csv?target=GHO/SDGSUICIDE,SDG_SH_STA_SCIDEN&profile=crosstable&filter=COUNTRY:*;REGION:*;AGEGROUP:-&x-sideaxis=COUNTRY;SEX&x-topaxis=GHO;YEAR)
49. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=239)
50. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)