Central Africa, south of Libya
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Africa
total: 1.284 million sq km
land: 1,259,200 sq km
water: 24,800 sq km
almost nine times the size of New York state; slightly more than three times the size of California
total: 6,406 km
border countries (6): Cameroon 1,116 km; Central African Republic 1,556 km; Libya 1,050 km; Niger 1,196 km; Nigeria 85 km; Sudan 1,403 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
tropical in south, desert in north
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
highest point: Emi Koussi 3,445 m
lowest point: Djourab 160 m
mean elevation: 543 m
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
agricultural land: 39.6% (2018 est.)
arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 35.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 9.1% (2018 est.)
other: 51.3% (2018 est.)
300 sq km (2012)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km
note - area varies by season and year to year
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Lake Chad Basin, Nubian Aquifer System
the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated as shown in this population distribution map
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
note 1: Chad is the largest of Africa's 16 landlocked countries
note 2: not long ago - geologically speaking - what is today the Sahara was green savannah teeming with wildlife; during the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, a vibrant animal community, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, and antelope lived there; the last remnant of the "Green Sahara" exists in the Lakes of Ounianga (oo-nee-ahn-ga) in northern Chad, a series of 18 interconnected freshwater, saline, and hypersaline lakes now protected as a World Heritage site
note 3: Lake Chad, the most significant water body in the Sahel, is a remnant of a former inland sea, paleolake Mega-Chad; at its greatest extent, sometime before 5000 B.C., Lake Mega-Chad was the largest of four Saharan paleolakes that existed during the African Humid Period; it covered an area of about 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq mi), roughly the size of today's Caspian Sea
NOTE: The information regarding Chad on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Chad 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Chad 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 06 Dec 23, Copyright © 2023 ITA all rights reserved.