There is so little life in this state! Most of it is occupied by sand. And the people living in it are very poor. But still, even tourists come to such a country in Africa . What do they want to see here?
Chad is Africa's poorest country
The country of Chad is one of the poorest countries on the African continent, it is located in Central Africa, in its northern part. The bulk of the country is the Sahara desert. The capital of Chad is the city of N'Djamena. The state has no access to the sea at all, it borders with other countries: in the north - with Libya, in the south - with the Central African Republic, in the west - with Cameroon and Nigeria, in the east - with Sudan.
The flag of the Republic of Chad consists of three vertical stripes of the same width - blue, yellow and red. Blue color symbolizes the sky, hope and water. Yellow represents the sun and desert in the northern part of the country. Red color symbolizes progress, unity, as well as blood shed for the independence of Chad. In the southwestern part of the state, the border runs directly along the famous Lake Chad.
Population
The country's population is about 10 million people, and the Republic of Chad is the 75th largest in the world. This African state has two official languages - French and Arabic. Even the population of the south speaks the language of Sarah, there are about 120 dialects. The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Chad notes that at the age of 15, only 35% of Chadians can speak and write in French or Arabic. The average age of the country's inhabitants is 16.9 years. The birth rate is quite high, but a lot also die. In terms of mortality, the Republic of Chad is in 5th place in the world. Needless to say, not the most prosperous country. Maternal mortality is the highest in the world.
Drinking water is almost a luxury, it is available only to 27% of residents. Unemployed are more than 80% of the population. In Chad, a huge number of people with AIDS - more than 200 thousand people. In this case, medicine is practically absent. There are hospitals only in large cities, and doctors are employees of the Red Cross, all foreigners. The republic has frequent civil wars, droughts and famines. All this makes Chad one of the poorest countries in Africa.
Climatic conditions
The Republic of Chad has a very contrasting climate. In its northern and southern parts, it is very different. Accordingly, the flora of the African state is heterogeneous. In the north, the country of Chad is a sandy and rocky desert, where oases with fairly scarce flora and fauna are very rare. The average temperature in January is +15 degrees, and in summer, in July - +30 degrees. Maximum temperatures rise to +56 degrees. In this part, during the dry period, a dry hot wind is often blowing - the Harmatan, bringing drought and locusts. In the north, it may not be rainy for years, but it may rain, which will lead to flooding. In the south, the Republic of Chad is represented by semi-deserts and savannahs. In winter, the average air temperature here is +22 degrees, in summer - + 30-35 degrees. Light rains turn sharply into heavy rains, during the monsoon period their number becomes even greater. But in the south, rainfall is more evenly distributed.
Lake chad
An amazing pond, located among the sands of Africa, is called the "Sahara Sea". This is Lake Chad. It is interesting in that the water there is almost fresh, although usually in deserts, in lakes without runoff, the water is salty. It is also noteworthy that the water level in the lake varies greatly every 20-30 years and depends on the amount of precipitation. In rainy years, the depth reaches 3-5 meters, and the area increases 2.5 times. Such a quantity of fresh water in the center of the sand, of course, attracts a huge number of birds and animals. Here you can find hippos, crocodiles and manatees, who generally do not know how they got here. Usually they live in the open sea.
Traditions and features
About half of all inhabitants of the country profess Islam, about 40% are Christians. 28% of Chad's population lives in cities, the rest live in villages or even lead a nomadic lifestyle. Mostly people in the northern part of the country are moving from place to place. These nomadic tribes are warlike groups, they live separately, they don’t make contact with others. Within the tribes, the strict laws of the patriarchy apply. They live in tents made of thick fabric or in clay houses. Each family has its own property, which is inaccessible to other families. This is an oasis, palm grove, spring. Particular attention is paid to raising children, especially boys. They deeply honor the traditions of their ancestors and worship of pagan gods.
Interesting Facts
- The fresh water of Lake Chad is not suitable for use. Although its reserves in the pond are huge and thanks to it they get good crops, but all of it is polluted. You cannot use water for drinking purposes. It is especially unusual for tourists that it will not work in everyday life either. One must always have bottled water.
- To start taking photos of something in the country, you need to get permission in advance from the Ministry of Information or the police department. It will indicate what exactly is allowed to snoop on the camera. To photograph a local resident, you need to ask him for permission.
- Women of this African republic still artificially change their body shapes with the help of metal objects. For example, they are inserted into the lips.
- In addition to political figures, the most beautiful girl of Chad, Bitta Kellu, is also shown on banknotes of the state. There are no more such countries in the world.
- There was a conflict between Chad and Libya. This is the only war that has received the name of the Toyota brand. Chad won it, precisely thanks to the SUVs of this brand.
- Looking directly into the eyes of the interlocutor is considered indecent.
- Local people say the weather is bad when the sun is shining, and the weather is good when it rains.
Travel Tips
Chad cannot be considered a tourist country. Many factors hamper the development of tourism. First of all, this is a huge number of infectious diseases due to the acute shortage of drinking water. Only the capital of the Republic of Chad and some other large cities have medical facilities, but they are few. To visit this African country, you need to apply for a visa. You can get it in neighboring countries, for example, in Cameroon or Sudan. It is noteworthy that for obtaining a visa, the list of required documents includes a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
Nevertheless, Chad is visited by tourists. They are attracted to the unique landscapes of Africa, interesting original local tribes, flora and fauna. For the sake of all this, they are ready to overcome thousands of kilometers.