Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa, bordered by 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. Covering an area of 1,284,000 square kilometers (496,000 sq mi), it is the twentieth-largest country in the world. Chad has a population of 19 million, with 1.6 million residing in the capital and largest city, N'Djamena. The country's official languages are Arabic and French, and it is home to over 200 ethnic and linguistic groups.
Satellite view of Chad.
Geographical Zones and Climate
Chad has four distinct climatic zones, each influencing the landscape and human activities:
- Saharan Zone: The northernmost region averages less than 200 mm (7.9 in) of rainfall annually. The sparse population is largely nomadic, raising livestock like small ruminants and camels.
- Sahelian Zone: The central region receives between 200 and 700 mm (7.9 and 27.6 in) of rainfall and has vegetation ranging from grass/shrub steppe to thorny, open savanna.
- Sudan Zone: The southern zone receives between 700 and 1,000 mm (27.6 and 39.4 in) of rainfall, with woodland savanna and deciduous forests for vegetation.
- Guinea Zone: Located in Chad's southwestern tip, this area receives between 1,000 and 1,200 mm (39.4 and 47.2 in) of rainfall.
The country's topography is generally flat, with the elevation gradually rising as one moves north and east away from Lake Chad. The highest point in Chad is Emi Koussi, a mountain in the northern Tibesti Mountains, rising 3,100 m (10,171 ft). The Ennedi Plateau and the Ouaddaï highlands in the east complete the image of a gradually sloping basin, descending towards Lake Chad.
The movement of the tropical rain belt (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, ITCZ) controls seasonal rainfalls, causing large inter-annual and decadal variability in wet-season rainfall. The northern desert regions receive very little rainfall, while the southern tropical savannah regions experience a wet season between May and October.
Read also: Exploring African Deserts
Chad's 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. Elephants, lions, buffalo, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, giraffes, antelopes, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and many species of snakes are found here, although most large carnivore populations have been drastically reduced since the early 20th century.
Introduction to the regional impacts of climate change
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is the second largest lake in west Africa and one of the most important wetlands on the continent. It serves as home to 120 species of fish and at least that many species of birds. Bordered by Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon, Lake Chad currently covers only 1,350 square kilometers, down from 25,000 square kilometers in 1963. The lake has shrunk dramatically in the last four decades due to increased water usage from an expanding population and low rainfall. The Chari and Logone Rivers, both of which originate in the Central African Republic and flow northward, provide most of the surface water entering Lake Chad.
Shrinking of Lake Chad from 1963 to 2001.
Land Use and Agriculture
Land use is dictated by soil and climate, with different uses in the three vegetation zones. The wet and dry tropical zone is inhabited by farmers who cultivate rice and sorghum in the clay soils and peanuts (groundnuts) and millet in the sandier areas. Cassava (manioc) is also cultivated.
Between the latitudes of 11° and 15° N, the retreat of the rivers in the dry season leaves behind flooded depressions called yaere, allowing a second crop of “dry season” sorghum, or berbere, to be cultivated. Since 1928 the cultivation of cotton in the area between the Logone and Chari rivers has been encouraged, first by the colonial administration and since 1960 by the national government. Cotton cultivation has resulted in the introduction of a cash economy in place of a barter economy, while tending to upset the ecological balance by exhausting the soil. The cultivation of rice, begun in 1958 in irrigated plots in the Bongor region, south of N’Djamena, has proved successful.
Read also: Causes and Consequences of Food Deserts in Africa
The intermediate semiarid tropical zone is inhabited by both sedentary cultivators and nomadic pastoralists. The inhabitants raise millet and grow peanuts wherever the mean annual rainfall exceeds 15 inches (380 mm). Cotton is grown where and when rainfall exceeds 30 inches (760 mm). Large herds of cattle migrate over the semiarid tropical zone in search of pasture and water. In very limited areas bordering Lake Chad, the presence of water allows three harvests of wheat and corn (maize) to be grown in some years on irrigated plots called polders. Elsewhere the seminomadic inhabitants are almost completely dependent upon rainfall. Drought has had serious repercussions, affecting both the livestock and the pastoralists, whose livelihood depends on milk products.
In the hot arid zone, nomads live among their herds of camels, frequenting palm groves in such oases as that at Largeau. Farther north, in the Tibesti Mountains, tiny plots of millet, tomatoes, peppers, and other minor crops are grown for local consumption, often in the shade of date palms. These garden crops depend on irrigation from springs breaking out from the sandstones and volcanic rocks at widely separated points and shallow wells in the sandy sediments flooring steep-sided valleys.
Climate Data
Here's an overview of the average temperatures and precipitation in different cities in Chad:
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Abéché |
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| Faya Largeau |
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| Moundou |
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| Ndjamena |
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| Sarh |
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Environmental Challenges
Chad faces several environmental challenges, including deforestation and desertification. Forest cover is around 3% of the total land area, equivalent to 4,313,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 6,730,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. Extensive deforestation has resulted in the loss of trees such as acacias, baobab, dates, and palm trees, leading to habitat loss for wild animals.
As with the rest of the Sahel, Chad experienced severe droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Climate change exacerbates weather variability, increasing the risk of droughts and floods. Last year’s rainy season was marked by record rainfall in most of Chad and across the Sahel. Floods displaced hundreds of thousands of people and ruined affected households’ food stocks.
Read also: Explore the Deserts of Ancient Egypt
In 2021, Chad experienced its worst lean season in nine years, which has negatively affected agricultural and pasture production. This reduces agricultural production and causes farmers to abandon certain crops due to a lack of solutions.
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