Chad: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Chad is a large, landlocked country in north-central Africa. It stretches from the sands and mountains of the Sahara in the north to green savannas in the south. Its capital is N'Djamena, and about 20 million people live there. Chad takes its name from Lake Chad, and it is known for spectacular desert rock formations, desert lakes and its rare wildlife.

On My Earth Toy you can see the Aloba Arch in the Ennedi Plateau, one of the tallest natural rock arches in the world, rising about 120 metres high. You can also spot the scimitar oryx, a desert antelope with long, curved horns.

Geography and nature

The north is part of the Sahara, with the volcanic Tibesti Mountains; Emi Koussi is the highest peak in the whole Sahara. In the northeast, the Ennedi Plateau is full of sandstone arches, pillars and canyons, and the Lakes of Ounianga are a chain of desert lakes; both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The south gets more rain and has savanna and farmland. Zakouma National Park protects elephants, giraffes and lions.

People, languages and culture

Chad has more than 200 ethnic groups and over 100 languages. Arabic and French are the official languages. Islam is practised mostly in the north and centre, and Christianity mostly in the south. Many people in the north and east are herders who move with their camels, cattle and goats to find water and grass. Millet and sorghum are important foods, often made into a thick porridge eaten with sauces.

History in a nutshell

Chad has some of the oldest traces of human relatives: a skull nicknamed Toumaï, about 7 million years old, was found here in 2001. Around Lake Chad, powerful states such as the Kanem–Bornu Empire grew rich from trade across the Sahara for many centuries. France colonised the region in the early 1900s. Chad became independent on 11 August 1960. Since then it has had long periods of conflict and political change.