Chad

Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west. Chad has a population of 19 million, of which 1.6 million live in the capital and largest city of N'Djamena.

 

Did you know that:
1. With a total area of around 1,300,000 km² (500,000 sq mi), Chad is the fifth-largest country in Africa.
2. The country is named after Lake Chad. The lake is the largest wetland in Chad and the second-largest in Africa. Historically, the locals called the area Chad which inspired the Europeans to call the endorheic lake after the country.
3. The goat and lion are the national symbols of Chad. The National animal for the northern part of the country is the mountain goat while the southern part is represented by a lion. Both symbols stand opposite each other having the blue and yellow colored shield in the middle with a red sun rising above the shield of the Chadian coat of arms.
4. The Tibesti Mountains are home to some of the best camel racing in the world. Tibesti literally means "the place where mountain people lives". It is the home of the Toubou tribe - the mountain people.The Toubou locals put on this splendid camel racing early in the morning. The region has produced champion camel racers that just need to be given public recognition.
5. Chad is also known as "The Babel Tower of the World" because of its cultural diversity. It has over 200 ethnic groups and 100 languages spoken in the country.
6. Chad holds substantial deposits of gold—particularly in the Mayo Kebbi and Ouaddaï regions—and large untapped uranium reserves, particularly in the Mayo Kebbi and Tibesti areas. However, the mining industry has remained heavily underdeveloped and underfunded since the discovery and commercial exploitation of oil in the early 2000s.
7. Zakouma National Park in Chad is home to the “Big Five” game animals of rhino, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo.