"History of Chad Chad (; ), officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It borders Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the ""Dead Heart of Africa"". The territory now known as Chad possesses some of the richest archaeological sites in Africa. A hominid skull was found by Michel Brunet in 2002, in Borkou, that is more"
"are few cattle or horses. Chad's subsistence farmers practice traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in tandem with crop rotation, which is typical throughout much of Africa. Sorghum is the most important food crop, followed by berebere. Less prevalent grains are corn, rice, and wheat. Other secondary crops include peanuts, sesame, legumes, and tubers, as well as a variety of garden vegetables. As with most Third World countries, control of the land determines agricultural practices. There are three basic types of land tenure in Chad. The first is collective ownership by villages of croplands in their environs. In principle, such lands belong to"
"Chad's portion of the shore of Lake Chad. Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of and has vegetational zones. The region is the principal agricultural segment in the whole country, producing cotton and groundnut, the two main cashcrops of the country. There are a variety of local crops like rice are also grown in the region. Per the"
"with a current population in excess of 700,000 people. Chad has four bioclimatic zones. The northernmost Saharan zone averages less than of rainfall annually. The sparse human population is largely nomadic, with some livestock, mostly small ruminants and camels. The central Sahelian zone receives between rainfall and has vegetation ranging from grass/shrub steppe to thorny, open savanna. The southern zone, often referred to as the Sudan zone, receives between , with woodland savanna and deciduous forests for vegetation. Rainfall in the Guinea zone, located in Chad's southwestern tip, ranges between . The country's topography is generally flat, with the elevation"
"people from all over Chad, even some from Niger and Sudan, flocked to the region to try their luck. However, the Chadian army prevented anyone from getting into the region. Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of and has vegetative zones. The region is the principal agricultural producer in Chad, producing cotton and groundnut, the two main cash"
"have contributed to long-term food insecurity in Chad. Chad is an arid, landlocked nation, dominated geographically by the Sahara desert, with only the south being suitable for large-scale food-growing. The lack of arable land often means that Chadian citizens see great difficulties in growing enough food for themselves or for sale, resulting in an agricultural market mainly geared towards non-edible crops such as cotton. Nearly 80% of all Chadian laborers work in the agricultural sector, but the focus on non-edible crops means that food is still limited. Chadian crops are also vulnerable to attacks from insects such as locusts, which"
"total land area, contains the nation's most fertile croplands. Settled agricultural communities growing a wide variety of food crops are its main features. Fishing is important in the rivers, and families raise goats, chickens, and, in some cases, oxen for plowing. In 1983 about 72% of all land under cultivation in Chad was in the soudanian zone. Crop rotation in the soudanian zone traditionally begins with sorghum or millet in the first year. Mixed crops of sorghum and-or millet, with peanuts, legumes, or tubers, are then cultivated for approximately three years. Farmers then return the land to fallow for periods"
"was 126,855, 32.70 per cent of the total population. Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of and has vegetational zones. The region is the principal agricultural segment in the whole country, producing cotton and groundnut, the two main cashcrops of the country. There are a variety of local crops like rice are also grown in the region. Per"
"Geology of Chad The terrain of Chad in central Africa is dominated by the low-lying Chad Basin (elevation about 250 m / 820 ft), which rises gradually to mountains and plateaus on the north, east, and south. In the east heights of more than 900 metres (3,000 ft) are attained in the Ennedi and Ouaddaï plateaus. The greatest elevations are reached in the Tibesti massif in the north, with a maximum height of 3,415 metres (11,204 ft) at Emi Koussi. The northern half of the republic lies in the Sahara. The Bodélé Depression is a low region in the southern"
"population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. The crops grown and the locations of herds are determined by the local climate. In the southernmost 10% of the territory lies the nation's most fertile cropland, with rich yields of sorghum and millet. In the Sahel only the hardier varieties of millet grow, and these with much lower yields than in the south. On the other hand, the Sahel is ideal pastureland for large herds of commercial cattle and for goats, sheep, donkeys and horses. The Sahara's scattered oases support only some dates and legumes. Chad's cities face"
"of the park denote past desert conditions. The Chad depression was originally covered by Lake Chad. The land classification consists of terrestrial landscapes to the extent of 88%, and the park has 7% shrub land and 5% grassland. The climate is mostly semi-arid as the average annual precipitation is only and erratic in its incidence. The rainy months are June to October and the dry season is from November to May, and can sometimes start as early as October. Mean annual temperature is . The coolest month is December recording a mean monthly minimum temperature of and maximum of ."
"after which the country is named, is the largest wetland in Chad and the second-largest in Africa. The capital N'Djamena is the largest city. Chad's official languages are Arabic and French. Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. The most popular religion of Chad is Islam (at 55%), followed by Christianity (at 40%). Beginning in the 7th millennium BC, human populations moved into the Chadian basin in great numbers. By the end of the 1st millennium AD, a series of states and empires had risen and fallen in Chad's Sahelian strip, each focused on controlling the"
"the Lake Chad Depression towards the Guera Massif located at an elevation of , and extends eastwards towards the mountainous Saharan region which has an elevation of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of 744 mm (29.3 in) and has vegetational zones. The region is the principal agricultural region of the entire country, producing cotton and groundnut, the two main cash crops of the country. There are a variety of local crops like rice that are also grown in the region. Hadjer-Lamis is"
"Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of and has Savannah woodland region. There is significant amount of petroleum reserves in the southern portions of the country, having signs of economic potential. There are also significant proportion of gold for commercial exploitation in the regions. The main ethnico-linguistic groups are Chadian Arabs (more than 33%), Fula, Barma, Kanuri and"
"Agriculture in Chad In 2006 approximately 80% of Chad's labor force was employed in the agricultural sector. This sector of the economy accounted for almost half of the GDP. With the exception of cotton production, some small-scale sugar cane production, and a portion of the peanut crop, Chad's agriculture consisted of subsistence food production. The types of crops that were grown and the locations of herds were determined by considerable variations in Chad's climate. OverView The soudanian zone comprises those areas with an average annual rainfall of 800 millimeters or more. This region, which accounts for about 10% of the"
"of age: 38,011 male and 32,719 female. The sex ratio was 121.00 females for every hundred males. There were 145,847 sedentary staff, 1.40 of the population. Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of to and has Savannah woodland region. There are open grasslands and it is predominantly covered with pastures. There is limited amount of groundnut and local"
"grains. During the drought of 1970s and 1980s, the region was heavily affected and the number of cattle herds has reduced. The northern most zone of the region has sparse rainfall and desert vegetation. The northern regions of the country is believed to have significant amount of Uranium deposits. Ennedi Region was divided into two departments, namely,Ennedi Department (Capital of Fada) and Wadi Hawar (capital of Amdjarass). Chad became independent in 1961 from the French Colonial Empire. On account of ensuing political instability and local civil wars, it continued as a one party democracy till 1991, while other parties were"
"commercially significant basis. Exploration for both crude oil and uranium has been undertaken by international companies. Geology of Chad The terrain of Chad in central Africa is dominated by the low-lying Chad Basin (elevation about 250 m / 820 ft), which rises gradually to mountains and plateaus on the north, east, and south. In the east heights of more than 900 metres (3,000 ft) are attained in the Ennedi and Ouaddaï plateaus. The greatest elevations are reached in the Tibesti massif in the north, with a maximum height of 3,415 metres (11,204 ft) at Emi Koussi. The northern half of"
"The number of nomads in the region was 10,056, 2.60 percent of the total population. Kanem is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude. Chad has a general elevation of in Lake Chad Depression towards Guera massif located at an elevation of and eastwards towards the mountainous Saharan region of . The only rivers in the country of importance are Chari and Logone, flowing into Lake Chad. The region receives an annual rainfall of and has vegetational zones. The region is the principal agricultural segment in the whole country, producing cotton and groundnut, the two main cash"
"is more limited because of dryness. In the polders of Lake Chad, farmers grow a wide range of crops; two harvests per year for corn, sorghum, and legumes are possible from February or March to September. Rice ripens in February, and wheat ripens in May. The saharan zone encompasses roughly the northern half of Chad. Except for some dates and legumes grown in the scattered oases, the area is not productive. Annual rainfall averages less than 350 millimeters (13.8""), and the land is sparsely populated by nomadic tribes. Many of Chad's camel herds are found in the region, but there"
"large area of desert dunes lie between Lake Chad and the Ouaddai massif, where fringes of xerophytic scrubland is noted. The montane vegetation on the massif is rich, unlike the vegetation that is in the lowlands. Woody vegetation occurs in some deep gorges of the Ennedi massif, which rises to . A flat terrain supports Sahelian grasslands. The transition zone that lies between the southern Sahel and northern Sudan–Guinea is also a seasonal wetland. The Sudan Savanna zone mostly consists of Sudanian woodland with intermittent vegetation of edaphic grassland and ""acacia"". Lake Chad, lying on the country's western edge and"
"area of fields in production with those lying fallow to give a total for arable lands. The arable land figure has shown a gradual increase since 1961. Estimated then at 29,000 square kilometres (11,325 sq. mls), it rose to almost 32,000 square kilometres (12,500 sq. mls.) in 1984. In 1983 there were about 12,000 square kilometres (4,686 sq. mls.) in food production and in 1984 slightly more than 9,000 square kilometres (3,515 sq. mls). Therefore, perhaps a third of Chad's farmlands were in production in a given year, with the balance lying fallow. Cotton is an indigenous crop to southern"
"rights to the land. Ownership of fruit trees and date palms in the oases is often separate from ownership of the land; those farmers who plant and care for trees own them. State ownership is the third type, primarily for large enterprises such as irrigation projects. Under the management of parastatal or government employees, farmers enter into contractual arrangements, including paying fees, for the use of state lands and the benefits of improved farming methods. Detailed and reliable statistical information on Chad's agriculture was scarce in the late 1980s; most researchers viewed available statistics only as indicators of general trends."
"a distance of to the northeast of the lake. The Bodélé Depression is just above sea level in its deepest portion, while the surface of Lake Chad is above sea level. The basin spans parts of seven countries. These are: The northern half of the basin is desert, containing the Ténéré desert, Erg of Bilma and Djurab Desert. South of that is the Sahel zone, dry savanna and thorny shrub savanna. The main rivers include riparian forests, flooding savannas and wetland areas. In the far south there are dry forests. Rainfall varies widely from year to year. The amount of"
"Forestry in Chad Like most states of the African Sahel, Chad has suffered desertification—the encroachment of the desert. Traditional herding practices and the need for firewood and wood for construction have exacerbated the problem. In the early 1980s, the country possessed between 135,000 and 160,000 square kilometres of forest and woodlands, representing a decline of almost 14% from the early 1960s. To what extent this decline was caused by climatic changes and to what extent by herding and cutting practices is unknown. Regulation was difficult because some people traditionally made their living selling wood and charcoal for fuel and wood"
"the main Cannes competition. Issa Serge Coelo directed Chad's two other films, ""Daresalam"" and """". Football is Chad's most popular sport. The country's national team is closely followed during international competitions and Chadian footballers have played for French teams. Basketball and freestyle wrestling are widely practiced, the latter in a form in which the wrestlers put on traditional animal hides and cover themselves with dust. Chad Chad (; ; ), officially the Republic of Chad ( """"; ""Republic of the Chad""), is a landlocked country in north-central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east,"
"end of the rains, turning over the land to the antelopes, gazelles, and ostriches that can survive with little groundwater. Northern Chad averages over 3500 hours of sunlight per year, the south somewhat less. The semiarid sahelian zone, or Sahel, forms a belt about wide that runs from Lac and Chari-Baguirmi prefectures eastward through Guéra, Ouaddaï, and northern Salamat prefectures to the Sudanese frontier. The climate in this transition zone between the desert and the southern soudanian zone is divided into a rainy season (from June to early September) and a dry period (from October to May). In the northern"
"Wildlife of Chad The wildlife of Chad is composed of its flora and fauna. Animal and plant life correspond to the three climatic zones. In the Saharan region, the only flora is the date-palm groves of the oasis. Palms and acacia trees grow in the Sahelian region. The southern, or Sudanic, zone consists of broad grasslands or prairies suitable for grazing. As of 2002, there were at least 134 species of mammals, 532 species of birds (354 species of residents and 155 migrants), and over 1,600 species of plants throughout the country. Bush elephants, West African lions, buffalo, hippopotamuses, Kordofan"
"the State from west to east through the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands and empties into the Lake Chad Basin. Most parts of Jigawa lie within the Sudan Savannah with elements of Guinea Savannah in the southern part. Total forest cover in the State is very much below national average of 14.8%[1]. Due to both natural and human factors, forest cover is being depleted, making northern part of the State highly vulnerable to desert encroachment. The State enjoys vast fertile arable land to which almost all tropical crops could adapt, thus constituting one of its highly prized natural resources. The Sudan Savannah vegetation"
"after which the country is named (and which in turn takes its name from the Kanuri word for ""lake""), is the remains of an immense lake that occupied of the Chad Basin 7,000 years ago. Although in the 21st century it covers only , and its surface area is subject to heavy seasonal fluctuations, the lake is Africa's second largest wetland. The region's tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favourable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad's major rivers—the Chari, Logone and their tributaries—flow through the southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad. Each year a tropical weather"
"Movement. Chad remains plagued by political violence and recurrent attempted coups d'état. Since 2003, crude oil has become the country's primary source of export earnings, superseding the traditional cotton industry. In the 7th millennium BC, ecological conditions in the northern half of Chadian territory favored human settlement, and the region experienced a strong population increase. Some of the most important African archaeological sites are found in Chad, mainly in the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region; some date to earlier than 2000 BC. For more than 2,000 years, the Chadian Basin has been inhabited by agricultural and sedentary people. The region became a crossroads"
"soils rich in raw minerals. This is true of much of the land south of Lake Chad, and of the Mandara Mountains on the western border with Nigeria. Soil here is black clay (alluvial soil). The seasonal flooding of the Logone River gives rise to a north-south band of hydromorphic soils at the border with Chad. The remainder of the territory, the Diamaré Plain and the El Beïd River valley, is made up of ferruginous soils. The province's dry/wet seasonal variations create relatively shallow, ferrous or lateritic soils. A number of rivers criss-cross the territory, many of them rising in"
"organized poaching. The problem is worsened by the fact that the parks are understaffed and that a number of wardens have been murdered by poachers. Wildlife of Chad The wildlife of Chad is composed of its flora and fauna. Animal and plant life correspond to the three climatic zones. In the Saharan region, the only flora is the date-palm groves of the oasis. Palms and acacia trees grow in the Sahelian region. The southern, or Sudanic, zone consists of broad grasslands or prairies suitable for grazing. As of 2002, there were at least 134 species of mammals, 532 species of"