One of the world’s least developed countries and home to a fierce beauty pageant for men, these are the most interesting facts about Chad.
Fast facts
Official name: Republic of Chad
Population: 19 million (2024 est.)
Area: 1.284 million sq km
Capital city: N’Djamena
Major languages: French, Arabic, Sara
Major religions: Muslim, Christian
Time zone: UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
Interesting facts about Chad
1. Chad is located in Central Africa and is bordered by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.
2. Chad and the surrounding region have been inhabited for approximately 9,000 years, since around 7000 BC.
3. Chad is a landlocked country: a country surrounded by land with no access to the sea.
4. Chad is the largest of Africa’s 16 landlocked countries.
5. By total surface area, Chad is Africa’s fifth-largest country and the world’s 20th-largest.
6. Parts of Chad made up the Kanem Empire (circa 800-1380) and its successor, the Bornu Empire (c. 1380-1893).
7. Chad was colonized by France during the early 20th century and became a colony within French Equatorial Africa in 1913.
8. Chad gained independence from France in 1960 with Francois (later Ngarta) Tombalbaye as president.
9. Since independence, Chad has been plagued by instability and civil war, which principally stems from tensions between the largely Arab-Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south.
10. As such, Chad is one of the world’s least developed countries. As of 2025, it was ranked fourth-least developed nation in the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI). The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations estimates that 7 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2025.
11. Chad is now home to over 1 million refugees, making it Africa’s largest host per capita. This includes Sudanese refugees who arrived before the recent conflict, as well as individuals from the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
12. Chad is often referred to as the “Babel Tower of the World” due to its remarkable cultural diversity. Home to over 200 ethnic groups, the country boasts more than 100 languages and dialects. Arabic, one of Chad’s official languages, is spoken in various forms throughout the nation.
13. Zakouma National Park in Chad is home to the “Big Five” game animals of rhino, lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo. Rhinos were introduced to the park in 2018, making Zakouma the closest “Big Five” destination to Europe.
14. In 2002, French scientists discovered a human skull thought to be 6-7 million years old. Named Toumaï, it is believed to be the oldest fossil from a member of the human family.
15. Chad is rich in gold and uranium and is an oil-exporting country, but suffers from poor infrastructure, bouts of internal conflict and severe poverty.
16. In 2023, Chad was named one of the world’s hungriest countries, ranking 119th out of 125 countries on the Global Hunger Index (GHI). It is classified as suffering from serious levels of hunger.
17. According to the UK Foreign Office, Chad is one of 24 countries deemed to be entirely unsafe for tourists to visit.
18. Chad’s flag is vertically striped with the colors blue, yellow and red. The blue stripe is said to stand for hope, and the sky, yellow is for the sun, and red is for the unity of the nation.
19. Chad’s flag is almost identical to that of Romania’s. The only difference is that Romania’s has a darker shade of blue. Chad’s is also similar to Andorra’s and Moldova’s, both of which have a national coat of arms centered on the yellow stripe.
20. Chad’s national motto, Unité, Travail, Progrès (Unity, Work, Progress), is proudly displayed on the country’s coat of arms.
21. Chad scored 15 out of 100 in Freedom House’s Freedom in The World 2023 report. Corruption, bribery, and nepotism are rampant.
22. Chad takes its name from Lake Chad, which lies along the country’s western border. The word “tsade” means “large body of water” or “lake” in several local native languages.
23. Lake Chad, once Africa’s 2nd largest wetland, has diminished by 90% since the 1960s due to climate change, population growth, and unplanned irrigation. This vital water source supports 20 to 30 million people in the region.
24. Chad is part home to the world’s largest hot desert. The Sahara Desert, with a total area of 8,600,000 square kilometers (3,320,000 square miles), covers much of North Africa.
25. Situated in northern Chad, the Tibesti Mountains stand as one of the world’s most remote ranges. Spanning about 100,000 square kilometers (38,610 square miles), they boast the distinction of being the largest and tallest range in the Central Sahara.
26. The UNESCO-listed Lakes of Ounianga are a series of 18 lakes in the Sahara Desert of Chad that survive despite receiving less than 2mm of rainfall per year.
27. Chad is the only country in the world whose name is composed of a single syllable with a single vowel.
28. The UNESCO-listed Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape is a mountainous region home to unique natural sandstone formations and rock art dating back 7,000 years.
29. The site is also home to a population of desert-adapted West African crocodiles, herds of Barbary sheep, as many as 525 plant species and at least 180 bird species.
30. Chad has one of the world’s lowest life expectancies. In 2022, it had the lowest recorded life expectancy at just 53 years.
31. Child marriage is an ongoing issue. According to UNICEF, child marriage rates are highest in rural areas. Among women aged 20 to 24, 63.3% in rural regions were married before turning 18, compared to 49.9% in urban areas. Additionally, 25% of rural women in this age group were married before the age of 15, while the figure is 21% for their urban counterparts.
32. The country is facing a severe shortage of medical professionals. According to WHO standards, there should be 23 doctors and 23 nurses for every 10,000 inhabitants. However, in 2020, Chad had only 4.3 doctors and 23.2 nurses per 100,000 inhabitants.
33. Chad is home to the Gerewol festival, a beauty pageant where the men of a polygamous tribe called the Wodaabe battle it out to be selected as partners by unmarried women.
34. Chad has one of the world’s highest fertility rates. In 2024, Chad had the sixth-highest fertility rate of 5.24 children per woman.
35. Men play the Kakaki, a long metal trumpet measuring about three to four meters (10 to 13 feet) in length. This musical instrument is a staple in traditional ceremonial music.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.